A Milwaukee man now admits he was the one who fatally shot Milwaukee Lutheran High School senior Donell Jones last Easter Sunday.
Joseph A. Prado turned 18 earlier this month while behind bars, awaiting trial for charges connected to Jones’ April 20, 2025, death.
Prado pleaded guilty on March 20 to felony murder-armed robbery and being an adjudicated delinquent in possession of a firearm. The plea was accepted by Circuit Judge Laura Crivello.
A charge of attempted armed robbery, a felony, was dismissed but will be read into the court record for sentencing purposes, Assistant District Attorney Daniel Flaherty said.
Prado will be sentenced May 8.
According to a criminal complaint, Prado told detectives he and another person attempted to rob Jones as he left a party on Milwaukee’s north side, and at some point, Prado fired multiple shots.
Milwaukee police responded April 20 shortly after 3 a.m. to the 3400 block of North 23rd Street, where they found Jones with a gunshot wound to the head and a gun lying beside him, the complaint said.
Jones was set to graduate from Milwaukee Lutheran. Another victim was shot in the foot in the incident.
He told investigators that a party on the 3500 block of North 23rd Street had just wrapped up, and that people were leaving when shots rang out.
Police recovered 15 casings in the neighborhood. The casings were shot from four different guns, including a gun found next to Jones, according to the complaint.
Chris Ramirez covers courts for the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. He can be reached at caramirez@usatodayco.com.
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Man, 18, pleads guilty to killing Milwaukee Lutheran senior last Easter
Reporting by Chris Ramirez, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
