Officer-Involved Shooting in West Allis: Two Men Dead After Armed Confrontation on 91st Street, Including Suspected Gunman and Shooting Victim; DOJ Investigation Underway Amid Questions About Sequence of Violence and Police Response

The quiet rhythm of a West Allis, Wisconsin neighborhood was violently disrupted on Sunday evening, June 28, 2025, when what began as a 911 call reporting a shooting in the 1400 block of South 91st Street escalated into an officer-involved confrontation that left two men dead—one shot by a suspect, the other fatally shot by police officers responding to an unfolding, life-threatening situation.

In the tense and uncertain minutes that followed the first gunfire, West Allis Police Department officers encountered a rapidly deteriorating scene: an armed individual, an already wounded victim, and the chilling immediacy of a decision that would leave both men dead—despite emergency efforts to preserve life at the scene.

At the time of this report, the two deceased men have been identified only by age: one in his 50s, the other in his 70s. What remains unclear—indeed, a central focus of the current investigation—is which of the two was the initial shooting victim, and which was the suspect confronted and ultimately shot by police. This ambiguity deepens the emotional gravity and investigative weight surrounding the incident, which is now under formal review by the Wisconsin Department of Justice Division of Criminal Investigation (DCI), in accordance with statewide protocol for all officer-involved shootings.

The chain of events began with a call for help—a report that brought officers to a residential area just south of Greenfield Avenue, an otherwise unremarkable corner of West Allis where residents have historically enjoyed a degree of calm uncommon in more densely urbanized regions of Milwaukee County. But the tranquility was shattered as law enforcement arrived to discover a volatile and active shooter scenario already underway.

According to the preliminary account provided by the West Allis Police Department, officers were met with a situation that was not only fluid but perilous. An individual had already sustained gunshot wounds, and the suspect was still present and armed. What followed was a law enforcement response driven by urgency and immediate threat mitigation: officers discharged their weapons at the suspect in a tactical effort to neutralize the danger.

CPR was immediately administered on both the suspect and the initial gunshot victim—a clear indication of the dual urgency facing first responders: an attempt to preserve life on both sides of the confrontation, even amid the chaos. Yet, despite those efforts, both men were later pronounced dead, their identities to be released pending notification of next of kin.

The incident has raised a slew of questions—not only about the exact timeline of events and the actions taken by both the deceased individuals, but also about the mechanisms through which law enforcement chooses to apply deadly force, particularly in residential zones where civilians may be nearby.

Crucially, no law enforcement officers were injured during the altercation—a fact that may highlight the efficacy of response protocols, but also underscores the lethal finality visited upon the scene.

For now, the Wisconsin Department of Justice’s DCI is tasked with the independent investigation of the use of force. Their role is not to reinforce internal department narratives but to dissect the situation with autonomy and rigor, analyzing evidence, forensics, officer body cam footage (if available), and eyewitness accounts to determine whether the shooting was legally justified, strategically sound, and procedurally compliant.

While such investigations are routine in the wake of police-involved shootings, they carry heightened significance in cases like this—where the sequence of violence remains uncertain, and where the community’s emotional response may depend largely on transparent, verified facts.

In the absence of complete information, residents are left with more questions than answers. Who were the men involved? What relationship—if any—existed between them? Was the shooting an act of personal dispute, random violence, or something more complex? Why was one of them armed, and what provoked the fatal escalation?

Residents are being encouraged to assist the investigation by providing security footage, firsthand accounts, or any relevant information. For a city like West Allis, which generally experiences lower violent crime rates than some neighboring jurisdictions, an incident of this nature draws intense focus—not only for its lethal outcome, but for the fears it stirs regarding public safety, police engagement, and the unpredictable nature of gun violence.

Local leaders and law enforcement officials have so far urged patience, promising full disclosure as facts are confirmed. But the community’s desire for clarity, accountability, and healing remains immediate and profound.

This shooting is not occurring in a vacuum. It comes amid a national climate of scrutiny around police use of force, especially in confrontations involving unclear suspect-victim dynamics. Each officer-involved incident renews public debate around training, response time, de-escalation protocols, and proportionality of force—as well as the dangers faced by officers when engaging with armed suspects.

Still, this tragedy—unique in its particulars—demands its own detailed examination, one that neither rushes to condemn nor reflexively absolves, but instead seeks truth through rigorous investigation. Until then, the streets of West Allis remain heavier with the knowledge that two lives ended there on a quiet Sunday evening, and many more lives will be changed as a result.

In the coming days, more will be known. The names will be shared, families will begin to grieve in the public eye, and investigators will piece together a clearer picture of what happened on South 91st Street. But for now, a neighborhood mourns, a community holds its breath, and the state begins the careful work of unraveling a tragedy with no easy answers.