Family of man killed at Milwaukee gas station calls for more arrests, permanent closure

MILWAUKEE (CBS 58) -- Family members are calling for justice after a man was killed at a gas station last week, apparently over snack cakes.

Twenty-nine-year-old Isaiah Allen was shot Wednesday on Milwaukee's north side while leaving a gas station on Teutonia and Roosevelt.

A criminal complaint says the shooter was an armed security guard who was previously convicted of homicide, meaning he could not legally own a gun.

The shooter, identified as William Pinkin, is in custody.

He appeared in court Tuesday, and was issued a $250,000 bond.

"I demand for everyone to be held accountable, and justice be served," said Allen's mother, Natalie Easter.

The victim's family, friends, and local activists gathered at the gas station Tuesday night, demanding more arrests and a permanent closure.

RIGHT NOW: A protest at the gas station on Teutonia and Roosevelt, where Isaiah Allen was killed last week by William Pinkin, an armed security guard & felon.

Pinkin was charged with homicide. Protesters want the gas station shut down, license revoked, & action against owners. pic.twitter.com/4PvFdbNqRW

— Jenna Wells (@JennaWellsNEWS) August 22, 2023

"I can't sleep at night until I get justice for my brother," said Paris Allen, the victim's sister.

The gas station has been closed since the shooting.

Protesters taped a sign on the door, reading, "CLOSED FOR JUSTICE."

"It was a senseless killing, it was an assassination, and it was ordered," said Allen's uncle, Shawn Moore.

State Senator Lena Taylor represents the district where the shooting happened.

She joined protesters Tuesday.

"It is not acceptable that someone should lose their life over some cakes," Taylor said. "I don't believe that the investigation is thorough enough. I believe that the owner has a role."

Allen's family wants the shop owner charged for hiring a felon as an armed security guard.

They also want the gas station shut down, saying it has been a problem in the community for years.

"You have to give the environment relief, and that means closing that business down, letting the environment change, and let the people begin to heal," Moore said.

Activists were at the site on Tuesday, collecting signatures for a petition to revoke the store's license to operate.

"We're not even thinking about grieving. We're not even thinking about the pain," Moore said. "It's about fighting for Isaiah's legacy and rebuilding this city, so another parent doesn't have to endure what we're enduring."

Pinkin's preliminary hearing in Milwaukee County court is set for Aug. 30.