A Milwaukee County courthouse security guard was killed in a shooting May 8 on the city’s north side, according to authorities.
The Milwaukee County Sheriff’s Office identified the victim as Dennis Johnson, 56, a longtime Sheriff’s Office employee.
“Every senseless killing is a tragedy,” Sheriff Denita Ball said in a statement. However, because [Public Safety Officer] Johnson was a member of our family, this one hits home.”
The Milwaukee Police Department is investigating the shooting, which took place shortly after 5 p.m. on the 3000 block of North Teutonia Avenue. Police said a suspect fired several shots into a car, striking Johnson.
Lisa Beatty, Johnson’s older sister, said the death was a shock to her small, close-knit family. He texted in the family group chat every day, including a “good morning” on May 8.
Johnson was the favorite uncle among his nephews and nieces, Beatty said. He showed up for basketball games, birthday parties, baby showers and Chuck E. Cheese outings. Beatty disliked driving, so Johnson would ferry her around. They enjoyed visiting Seven Mile Fair together.
“I called him Gruber,” she said, referring to Milwaukeee personal injury lawyer David Gruber. “One call, that’s all. He’d drop whatever he could to help.”
Johnson grew up on Milwaukee’s East Side and graduated from Marshall High School, she said. He worked as a security guard at St. Mary’s Hospital before taking the job with the Sheriff’s Office about 10 years ago.
“He was such a people person,” she said. “That was the perfect job for him.”
Johnson worked a second job cleaning buses, she said. He also was his mother’s live-in caregiver as a way to keep her her out of a nursing home.
Johnson was always at his mom’s house every Sunday for family meals. Beatty inherited the tradition after their mom died in 2018. Beatty always had a cold Pepsi for him in the fridge and some dessert to satisfy his sweet tooth.
For Mother’s Day on May 10, Beatty’s husband had planned to fire up the grill. The menu included ribs, one of Johnson’s favorites.
The Sunday dinner plans are now off, Beatty said. It wouldn’t feel the same without her brother there.
This story may be updated.
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Milwaukee courthouse security guard killed in May 8 shooting
Reporting by Kelly Meyerhofer, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
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