On the afternoon of May 5, 2020, Cathy King, a 48-year-old Black woman and a pharmacy technician at Walgreens, was shot and killed in the store parking lot at 27th Street and North Avenue in Milwaukee. King had been dropped off for her shift by her daughter-in-law; as she exited the vehicle her ex-boyfriend, Willie Jones, emerged from behind a pillar and began shooting. King sustained multiple gunshot wounds and was pronounced dead at the scene.

After the first shots, King’s daughter-in-law drove elsewhere in the lot and called 911. Officers arrived to find 51-year-old Jones standing over King’s body armed with a gun; he refused commands to drop the weapon, told officers they would have to kill him, and fired at police. Officers returned fire, wounding Jones, who was taken into custody and transported to a hospital. Jones was later charged with first-degree intentional homicide and second-degree recklessly endangering safety.

King is remembered by friends, family, and coworkers as a beloved mother and a caring pharmacy technician. Does anyone who knew Cathy or who was in that area that afternoon have information that could help fill in what happened?