St. Francis man charged in fatal shooting of Milwaukee bar security guard

CBS 58 / Milwaukee County Sheriff\'s Office

MILWAUKEE (CBS 58) - A 40-year-old St. Francis man has been charged in connection with a shooting outside a Milwaukee bar that left a security guard dead earlier this month.

According to a criminal complaint, Michael Carroll-Garcia is charged with:

  • First-degree reckless homicide with use of a dangerous weapon
  • First-degree recklessly endangering safety with use of a dangerous weapon
  • Possession of a firearm by a convicted felon

The charges stem from a shooting that occurred shortly after 12:30 a.m. June 18 at Fiesta Carambola, located near 19th and Becher. 

According to the complaint, officers with the Milwaukee Police Department arrived to find a 37-year-old security guard suffering from a gunshot wound to the head. The victim was taken to a hospital, where he later died.

Investigators say the shooting followed an altercation between two groups inside the bar while patrons were watching the World Cup match between Colombia and Uzbekistan.

According to witness statements, Carroll-Garcia and another man allegedly made threatening gestures toward another group before the confrontation moved outside. Prosecutors say Carroll-Garcia retrieved a handgun from his vehicle and began threatening members of the other group before security guards separated the parties.

The complaint alleges that as two members of the other group attempted to leave in separate vehicles, Carroll-Garcia opened fire. One vehicle was struck by gunfire, but the driver was not injured.

During the gunfire, Carroll-Garcia allegedly shot seven times. Prosecutors say the security guard was shot in the head while helping move patrons back inside the bar to safety.

Detectives identified Carroll-Garcia as a suspect on June 22. During an interview, investigators say he denied having a firearm that night and repeatedly responded "I don't know" when questioned about surveillance footage allegedly showing him holding and firing a handgun.

Court records also show Carroll-Garcia was convicted of second-degree reckless homicide as a party to a crime in 2006, making it illegal for him to possess a firearm.

If convicted on all charges, Carroll-Garcia faces up to 92.5 years in prison. He appeared in court on Tuesday, where a cash bond was set at $1,000,000. He will be back in court on July 8 for a preliminary hearing.

The investigation remains ongoing.

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