RACINE, WI — Two teens were charged by the Racine County District Attorney’s Office Monday following a gang-related shooting where five people were injured at North Beach.
Police say, however, more people were likely involved.
Thomas Burton, 17, and Dashari Watson, 18, were charged with five counts of first-degree reckless injury, and one count of first-degree recklessly endangering safety for their role in the shooting. The teens are being held in the Racine County Jail on $150,000 cash bonds.
READ MORE: Gang-related shooting at North Beach
Racine police identified a 20-year-old, a 16-year-old, and two others as shooters after reviewing video footage. But they have yet to be charged, according to court records.
In the June 2 shooting, five people suffered gunshot wounds:
- A bullet grazed one person on their head
- A second had a gunshot wound to his lower back
- Another was shot in his foot
- A fourth person was shot in the leg
- A fifth person suffered a gunshot wound to the chest that was considered life-threatening
The shootout happened between members of the Northside For Life and Dirty P Southside gangs, investigators said.
According to a criminal complaint filed in Racine County, members of the Dirty P gang came to North Beach after 7 p.m. on June 2 after one of the members took his aunt’s truck without permission and parked it near the Kid’s Cove playground.
Members of the Northside For Life gang were standing near the playground and noticed the Dirty P’s pull up. Several Northside For Life gang members grabbed their waistbands, as though they were armed, police said.
The Dirty P’s walked to the north end of the parking lot, saw the Northside For Life gang members, and then turned back south. Members of Northside for Life followed them.
Investigators say the Dirty P’s went back to the pickup truck when several members of the Northside For Life began kicking and damaging the truck. One person jumped up and down on the hood. The driver lurched the truck forward, hitting a Jeep and sending the Jeep into a third vehicle, the complaint reads.
Once the truck lurched forward, the shooting started, police said.
Video surveillance showed Watson – a member of the Northside For Life gang – shooting toward the truck from the west. Burton – another member of the gang – ran west, and shot back.
A 20-year-old Northside For Life member was seen shooting from the hill west of the truck. A 16-year-old was the first to fire a gun at the scene.
Police saw a fifth and sixth shooter on the surveillance video, but they could not identify them.
According to police, multiple gunshots were fired at once, and police collected at least four different types of gun casings at the scene of the shooting.
Burton and Watson are expected to be back in court at 8:30 a.m. July 8.
Denise Lockwood contributed to this story.
