Police Magazine Logo
MenuMENU
SearchSEARCH

Further Details Revealed About Milwaukee Active Shooter Incident

Authorities have released additional details of the active shooter incident at a Molson Coors complex in Milwaukee that left five employees dead before the killer turned a gun on himself.

February 27, 2020
Further Details Revealed About Milwaukee Active Shooter Incident

A Milwaukee police officer works the scene of a shooting at the Molson Coors Brewing Co. campus on February 26, 2020 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

Credit:

Getty Images

2 min to read


Embed from Getty Images


Authorities have released additional details of the active shooter incident at a Molson Coors complex in Milwaukee that left five employees dead before the killer reportedly turned a gun on himself.

Ad Loading...

The attacker—identified as a 51-year-old man who worked as an electrician at the company—entered the complex and opened fire with two handguns, police sources said.

A co-worker who asked not to be identified for fear of being disciplined said the suspected gunman believed he was being discriminated against because he was African American and that he frequently argued with at least one of the victims, a fellow electrician, the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel reports.

The co-worker said the suspect often watched movies on his phone during the day, which the other electrician took issue with, and that the two accused each other of going into each others' offices and stealing tools or tampering with computer equipment.

About a year ago, the employee said, the suspect started saying he believed brewery workers were coming into his home, bugging his computer and moving chairs around. "Things just started getting weird. But he was dead serious about it," the co-worker said.

Multiple police agencies responded to 911 calls of a shooting at the facility at 1400 hours local time. Arriving officers found employees performing CPR on a single gunshot victim, NBC News reports.

Ad Loading...

Police reportedly worked for hours to clear the more than 20 buildings in the complex where more than 1,000 people work. They eventually found the suspected gunman dead of an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound.


Related: 5 People Killed in Active Shooter Attack on Milwaukee Brewery


"There were five individuals who went to work today, just like everybody goes to work, and they thought they were going to go to work, finish their day and return to their families. They didn't—and tragically they never will," Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett said.

President Donald Trump said, "We send our condolences. We’ll be with them. And it is a terrible thing. Terrible thing. So our hearts go out to the people of Wisconsin and to the families."

None of the names of the five have been released. Remarkably, it is believed that no one was wounded other than the five individuals who were killed.

Ad Loading...

More Patrol

Black background, outline of Florida, headline 2 Officers Shot
Patrolby Wayne ParhamJanuary 14, 2026

2 Florida Officers Shot After Shots-Fired Call

Two officers were shot in Gainesville, Florida, by a man who police say was leaving an area where he had killed a man inside a business. The suspect exited his vehicle in what the chief termed an “ambush-style” attack.

Read More →
Blue-tinted background photo of hand hanging up an office phone and headline Richmond Heights PD: Harassment and Threats Will Be Addressed Accordingly
PatrolJanuary 14, 2026

Mistaken Identity: Ohio Police Department Harassed After ICE OIS

An Ohio police department has received harassing phone calls and social media messages because it has an officer with the same name as the ICE officer identified in the Minneapolis, Minnesota, officer-involved shooting.

Read More →
Black background with POLICE logo, police light bar, and headline Top 10 Videos of 2025.
Patrolby Wayne ParhamJanuary 7, 2026

Top 10 POLICE Videos of 2025

What were the top videos published by POLICE in 2025? Many covered tactics and officer safety, while others came from booth visits at IACP in Denver, Colorado. In case you missed these, here are the top 10 videos.

Read More →
Ad Loading...
Blue tinted background of a police dispatcher with headline Flock Safety + Coreforce Integation
TechnologyJanuary 7, 2026

Flock Safety and Coreforce Partner to Enhance Real-Time Awareness and Operational Efficiency for Law Enforcement

A new integration partnership will enable Flock Safety hotlist alerts and license plate recognition (LPR) searches directly in Coreforce’s Real-Time Crime Center (RTCC) and Digital Evidence Management System (DEMS) platform.

Read More →
three background images - man in tactical gear, image of ballistic helmet, photo of police officer in tactical gear approaching a car, and a circle with logo for Ballistic Armor Co.
PatrolJanuary 7, 2026

Ballistic Armor Co. Secures Strategic Investment to Expand U.S. Production Capabilities

Ballistic Armor Co. secured a new commitment that will accelerate its multi-year transition from a third-party tactical equipment retailer to a premium innovator and U.S. manufacturer of advanced protective systems.

Read More →
image of men on bicycles and women competing in martial arts and a log for the US Police & Fire Championships
PatrolDecember 10, 2025

Police & Fire Championships Expands Athlete Eligibility

The US Police & Fire Championships is now open to all employees – sworn, civilian, administrative, technical, and support staff – who work directly for an eligible public safety agency.

Read More →
Ad Loading...
Thumbnail for video series POLICE Topics, Tactic & TIps against a black background and an illuminated police car light bar. Headline for Tips for Watching the Hands
Sponsoredby Wayne ParhamDecember 5, 2025

Tips for Watching the Hands

How can officers better “watch the hands”? Mike Willis, Law Enforcement National Training and Program Director for the US Deputy Sheriff's Association, shares some tips.

Read More →
Thumbnail for video series POLICE Topics, Tactics & Tips with yellow headline 10 Tips for Felony/High-Risk Stops.
Sponsoredby Wayne ParhamDecember 3, 2025

10 Tips for Felony/High-Risk Stops

What steps can officers take to stay safer during felony or high-risk vehicle stops? Here are 10 tips from Mike Willis, Law Enforcement National Training and Program Director for the US Deputy Sheriff's Association.

Read More →
Screenshot of compute screen showing a blurred license plate compared to an image where the image has been enhanced to show the numbers and letters.
Patrolby Edited by StaffNovember 25, 2025

Amped Highlights Power Behind Amped FIVE Software

Amped FIVE empowers you to advance your investigations with confidence and precision, from the crime scene all the way to the courtroom.

Read More →
Ad Loading...
Background orange tinted image of southern California with pushpin marking Burbank. Headline reads K-9 Killed by Gunman, Burbank Police Department
PatrolNovember 24, 2025

Police K-9 Killed, Suspect Dies in Shootout with Cops

A Burbank Police Department K-9 was fatally shot over the weekend by a passenger who fled on foot from a traffic stop. The armed suspect was killed in a shootout with officers.

Read More →