Stanley Smith Jr., a 41-year-old Black man, was shot and killed on the evening of May 5, 2024, in Milwaukee’s Uptown neighborhood. Smith had been at the Scene 1 Restaurant & Lounge on West North Avenue when an announcement warned patrons about people breaking into cars nearby. He went to check on his black SUV parked near the Taco Bell at 5630 W. North Ave., intervened to stop a theft and was seen struggling with several masked individuals before being shot four times, including two wounds to his head. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

Investigators say the shooting was tied to an organized auto theft crew from Chicago that targeted high-end SUVs. Multiple law enforcement agencies became involved. In the weeks after the killing, four men from Chicago were arrested: 19-year-old Lamont Stanton, 18-year-old Correnthis Neal, 17-year-old Tramaine Walton, and 30-year-old Jovani Velazquez. Prosecutors charged Stanton with first-degree reckless homicide and charged Neal, Walton, and Velazquez with felony murder; all four also face attempted armed carjacking counts. The case was proceeding through the court system as of May 2024.

Does anyone have information about what happened that night or knew Mr. Smith?