RACINE, Wis. — We're learning more about two separate homicides that happened in Racine over Labor Day weekend.
On Friday, September 1st, 56-year-old Byron Beadles was shot and killed in an apartment complex near Packard and 17th Street. Monday night, on September 4th, 58-year-old Willie Henderson was killed a mile away, near Arthur and Victory.
"All of a sudden I hear pop, pop, pop, pop, and then I hear boom. I knew it was gunshots," one neighbor said.
This neighbor and mother of three didn't want to show her face on camera. She said Monday night's shooting happened right outside her home.
"When I walked outside the car was directly in front of the house. A neighbor came out and was screaming 'That's my brother, get him out! Someone, please help, please help,'" she said.
Henderson, the neighbor said, was lifeless on her front lawn.
"My babies, all of them, everybody sat here and saw this man die on my front lawn. It's so traumatizing. I've never seen anything like that before," she explained.
Neighbors told TMJ4 the victim's car was parked on one side of the street. Late Monday night, neighbors said they heard gunshots go off and then a loud boom. That boom was the victim's car crashing into the woman's home.
Racine Police said they arrested a 31-year-old suspect in this shooting on September 8th. They believe the shooting wasn't random.
"Put the guns down. Do not use gunfire to settle disputes, whether it's some sort of disrespecting each other or revenge, there's other ways to settle disputes," Racine Interim Police Chief, Alex Rodriguez, said.
In 2022, the City of Racine had 10 homicides and one vehicular homicide. As of September 5, 2023, there have been 10 homicides in the city.
"Gunfire certainly affects every family, the victim and the suspects," Rodriguez added.
It's a situation that left an impact on this family too.
"I just hate seeing people in pain. I hate seeing it. It's just hard to get that image out of my head. I had to watch and there was nothing I could do to help that man," the neighbor's daughter said.
Anyone with information on either shooting can report it anonymously by calling 888-636-9330.
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