On May 31, 2024, 10-year-old Isdennyeliaz Ortiz was killed by a stray bullet that entered her bedroom on Milwaukee’s south side near 21st and Orchard streets. She was asleep with her mother and baby brother when a single gunshot struck her in the chest at about 12:30 a.m.; she was pronounced dead at the scene. Investigators determined Isdennyeliaz was not the intended target.

The fatal round was traced to an apartment directly above, where 18-year-old relative Javier Rodriguez lived. According to the criminal complaint, Rodriguez’s gun discharged on the top floor, the bullet passed through a couch cushion and the floor before penetrating the unit below. Rodriguez reportedly told the child’s mother he had been playing with the gun, that the shooting was his fault, and asked for her forgiveness before leaving the residence.

Rodriguez was arrested and charged with second-degree reckless homicide. Family described the shooting as accidental, and court filings noted Rodriguez’s immediate confession and remorse. Does anyone in Milwaukee remember seeing or hearing anything in that building around 12:30 a.m. that night?