Surveillance captured a truck rear-ending a parked vehicle before shots struck a second work truck just after 3 a.m. Monday.
MILWAUKEE, Wis. — A drive-by shooting on Milwaukee’s south side was caught on home security video early Monday, when a truck slammed into a parked work vehicle and someone inside opened fire on another, police said. No injuries were reported. Officers arrested a 41-year-old man less than 15 minutes later a few blocks away.
Police said the shooting unfolded around 3 a.m. Monday, Nov. 24, near South 23rd Street and West Burnham Street, a residential stretch lined with tightly parked cars and duplexes. The incident matters now because it combines reckless driving and gunfire in a sleeping neighborhood and resulted in a swift arrest, with prosecutors reviewing potential charges. The trucks belong to Oaxacos Contractors LLC, according to the owner, who said her four children were asleep inside their nearby home when the rounds struck. Investigators said they are still looking for additional suspects and have not released a motive.
Security footage shows a truck roll up behind a red work pickup parked on South 23rd Street just after 3 a.m., bumping it from behind before continuing forward. A person inside that truck then fires several rounds that hit a second, darker work truck parked ahead, setting off car alarms as the vehicle speeds off. “For one moment, waking up at three in the morning with gunshot fire, I woke up scared,” said the owner, Carolyn Contreras, who told reporters both damaged vehicles are part of her small contractor fleet. Contreras walked along the driver’s side of the black truck later Monday, pointing to fresh holes in the bodywork and shattered trim. She said one truck took “about four or five” bullet strikes.
Police said officers already in the area moved quickly. Within about 15 minutes of the shots, they stopped and arrested a 41-year-old man roughly four blocks north, near Greenfield Avenue along the same corridor. Booking records reviewed by reporters show preliminary counts of operating while intoxicated and discharging a firearm. Investigators did not identify the man pending charging decisions and said they are still seeking others believed to be involved. Detectives also have not said whether the contractor’s vehicles were the intended target or collateral damage, and they did not release how many rounds were fired. Neighbors reported being jolted awake by the impact and echoing gunfire bouncing off the narrow street.
Contreras said her company’s name is marked on the trucks and that the vehicles were parked as usual at the curb outside her home when the shooting started. She said her four children were asleep just feet away. “There’s always that mom instinct that kicked in, and make sure my kids are good,” Contreras said, adding that she did not recognize the truck in the video or the people inside it. The scene sits on a block of older homes where residents commonly park work vehicles overnight, and daytime street traffic feeds to Greenfield Avenue, a busy commercial strip. Residents described scrambling to windows after alarms rang down the block.
By late Tuesday, the 41-year-old remained in custody while the Milwaukee County District Attorney’s Office reviewed the case. Police said detectives are gathering additional video and canvassing the area for witnesses, with evidence technicians documenting bullet trajectories and collecting casings from the curb line. Officials did not set a timetable for announcing charges. If prosecutors file a criminal complaint, the accused would be scheduled for an initial appearance in Milwaukee County court, where a commissioner would consider bail and set future dates.
On the block Tuesday afternoon, workers swept glass from the gutter and taped plastic over punctures while neighbors swapped stories about the night. A man who lives across the street said he counted several flashes in quick bursts and then heard an engine rev hard. Parents walked children past the chipped curb to school as police cruisers rolled through. “Whoever did it, I hope you sleep good at night,” Contreras said, standing between the two damaged trucks.
As of Wednesday morning, police had not released additional suspect descriptions or a potential motive. Prosecutors were still reviewing the arrest for possible charges, with an update expected after the complaint decision. No further injuries were reported and both trucks remained off the road pending repairs.
Author note: Last updated November 26, 2025.