On the night of June 13, 2015, 19-year-old Rahkei R. Washington was shot while sitting in the passenger seat of a vehicle in the 6200 block of West Villard Avenue on Milwaukee’s northwest side. He was taken to Froedtert Hospital and pronounced dead on June 14, 2015. The killing came months after his older sister, Jahara Kennedy, had been fatally shot on January 4, 2015, during an attempted robbery; their mother Tamika Holmes had urged Rahkei to move to Phoenix but he declined because his sister was buried in Milwaukee.

Police opened a homicide investigation and on June 15, 2015 announced that a suspect had been arrested, but later accounts and family statements cast doubt on whether anyone was ever charged. A June 2017 review of Milwaukee’s 2015 firearm homicides noted the initial arrest but reported no suspects charged in Washington’s killing. The motive, the identity of the shooter, and why no public prosecution followed remain unclear.

A Peace Garden memorial honoring Rahkei and his sister was created near 109th and Jonen streets. If anyone knew Rahkei or has information about the shooting, please share what is known with Milwaukee police.