Police arrested a 33-year-old Milwaukee man less than two hours after Kiana Pliska was fatally wounded.
ST. FRANCIS, Wis. — A 32-year-old Cudahy woman died after she was shot several times outside a St. Francis apartment complex Thursday evening, and police took a Milwaukee man into custody as the only identified suspect in the homicide.
The Milwaukee County Medical Examiner’s Office identified the woman as Kiana M. Pliska. St. Francis police said the shooting was connected to domestic violence and that Pliska and the 33-year-old man knew each other. Authorities have not publicly named the man, announced criminal charges or disclosed what led to the shooting.
Officers were sent to a parking lot near South Packard Avenue and Lake Drive at about 6:30 p.m. July 16 after several callers reported hearing gunfire and seeing a woman on the ground. Police found Pliska suffering from multiple gunshot wounds and began providing emergency aid.
The St. Francis Fire Department took Pliska to a hospital, where she was pronounced dead. Police later classified her death as a homicide. Authorities said neither Pliska nor the man in custody lived at the Lake Park Apartments, where the shooting occurred.
Witness Sherema Lynch said she first heard two shots and then three more. Police have not released information about the number of shots fired, any recovered weapon or other evidence collected from the parking lot.
Investigators located the Milwaukee man about two hours after the shooting. Officers closed part of North 124th Street near West Burleigh Street in Wauwatosa while taking him into custody at about 8:20 p.m. Police described him as a person of interest before later saying he was the only suspect in the case.
Several agencies assisted St. Francis police during the investigation and arrest. They included police departments in Cudahy, Milwaukee, Wauwatosa and Brookfield, along with the Wisconsin State Patrol and Wisconsin State Crime Laboratory.
Pliska’s sister remembered her as a selfless person who cared for relatives and held the family together. “Anyone who knew her loved her,” she said in a statement provided to WISN 12 News. She said Pliska had a contagious laugh and “the most beautiful spirit.”
A family friend separately described Pliska as a loving mother of two boys. Authorities have released no additional information about her family, and police have not said whether anyone else was present when the shooting occurred.
The man remained in custody as the investigation continued. Police had not announced charges or provided a timetable for referring the case to prosecutors as of Saturday.
Author note: Last updated July 18, 2026.