SOUTH MILWAUKEE, Wis. — A Franklin High School senior and MATC student were found shot and killed in a car in South Milwaukee late Thursday night, according to family and authorities.
South Milwaukee police said in a statement Friday morning that an 18-year-old man and a 17-year-old girl were found dead after officers were called to 5th Avenue and Bay Heights Road. Witnesses called authorities after finding two unconscious people in a vehicle.
TMJ4 News can confirm, through family, that the deceased are Ava Allen, 17, and Jaelen Yracheta, 18. They were first cousins. The Milwaukee County Medical Examiner has also confirmed the identities of the two teens.
Allen was a senior at Franklin High School and active in sports, according to her family. Yracheta was a 2022 South Milwaukee High School graduate. According to the medical examiner, Yracheta was also a student at MATC.
Family also told TMJ4's Bruce Harrison that Jaelen's mother found them at the scene. They say they're devastated and that they'll never recover from this.
South Milwaukee police and the state crime lab are working to gather evidence. No suspects are in custody.
Sonia Guertin lives steps away from the parking lot where Allen and Yracheta were found. She told TMJ4’s Mariam Mackar she was home with her family Thursday evening when she heard about the incident.
“I heard some shots go off but I thought they were fireworks,” said Guertin. “I didn’t think anything of a shooting around here 'cause I lived here for five years and nothing like that ever happened before.”
Geurtin’s neighbor, Zachary Pundsack, says this sort of thing doesn’t happen often in the area.
“It’s kind of unbelievable, unexpected,” Pundsack shared. “You wouldn’t expect it for a quiet town like South Milwaukee.”
Franklin Public Schools sent the following message to families and students Friday evening:
"It is with heavy hearts that we are sharing that a tragic event took place on Thursday, December 29th that took the life of a senior at Franklin High School. This situation involves the police and is considered an active investigation. We are not able to share more details and want to respect the privacy of the family and friends.
Please know that we plan to have resources available for students and staff upon our return to school on Monday. Our Student Services staff will be providing support to students, staff, and families at Franklin High School on Monday starting at 7am. Our staff will also be available at additional times the remainder of next week. A variety of resources are included below for those that may be seeking additional support at this time."
The school system also provided resources to help those struggling.
_________
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.
