Family member charged in shooting of teenagers outside of Rufus King High School
MILWAUKEE (CBS 58) -- The man accused of shooting and injuring five people outside a high school basketball game Feb. 1 is facing decades in prison.
Thirty-four-year-old Devon Jobe is accused of shooting and injuring five people, his niece was among them. Jobe is charged with one count of discharging a firearm in a school zone and five counts of recklessly endangering safety with the use of a dangerous weapon. If convicted on all counts, he faces a maximum of 85 years in prison and $150,000 in fines.
According to the criminal complaint, Jobe is the uncle of a 20-year-old who was attending the basketball game at Rufus King that night. Police say about a dozen teenagers left the gym and got into an altercation, and at one point, Jobe's niece called him to pick her up.
Witnesses heard two to three gunshots before the suspect drove off in a black sedan.
According to police, Devon Jobe turned himself in on Friday, Feb. 4.
In asking for a $50,000 bail, the assistant district attorney said Jobe is a danger and a flight risk, and the state is concerned about him being out in the community.
Milwaukee County Assistant District Attorney Amy Spanczak said, "This is a very violent act, it is a strong case, it occurs near a school, there are multiple people struck, the potential penalty is very high here."
Court Commissioner Grace Flynn set Jobe's bail at $25,000, adding "I do think substantial bail is required. I don't think $50,000 is the appropriate amount. I'm going to order $25,000 cash bail to assure your appearance in court."
Jobe's preliminary hearing is scheduled for Feb. 16.
At the same time, MPS is bulking up security measures outside the school to ensure families are safe.
There were more police officers on hand Tuesday night for the first of two basketball games, and several other security measures were in place that MPS chose not to disclose to maintain their integrity.
An MPS statement before Tuesday's game read in part, "The district is working with event staff and law enforcement to ensure a safe environment for all spectators both inside and outside our school buildings."
Rufus King parents aren't sure the increased measures will prevent violence, but say at some point it comes down to personal responsibility.
Parent Sarah Stinson said, "Just trying to interact in a more civil way, and learning how to resolve issues without it turning into violence."
And Michael Galloway, Sr. said, "They don't know how to handle conflict. It's basically, 'I'm going to shoot you and kill you.'"
Monday night, dozens of Rufus King High School parents raised concerns to MPS administrators about gun violence, a chronic lack of student safety and communication within the school.