Milwaukee man facing 7 felony charges in connection to 2 separate freeway shootings

MILWAUKEE (CBS 58) -- A 19-year-old Milwaukee man has now been charged in connection to two separate freeway shootings that occurred in March and May.

According to the Milwaukee County Sheriff's Office, Jael Rivera-Jimenez cut off a victim's car with his SUV after a road rage conflict in West Milwaukee on May 20. Both vehicles proceeded along Greenfield Avenue on to W. National Avenue and onto State Highway 175. The 25-year-old driver of the car attempted to take the south-to-west ramp in the Stadium Interchange when Rivera-Jimenez allegedly rolled down his window and fired a handgun toward the victim's vehicle from two lanes over. 

The victim's vehicle, which had two passengers inside, was struck at least three times. The victim exited the freeway near downtown Milwaukee and called 911. 

The sheriff's office says Rivera-Jimenez acknowledged to detectives that he had been involved in the road rage incident and confessed to firing at the victim's car because he was angry one of the passengers had made an obscene hand gesture towards him. 

He was charged with three counts of first degree recklessly endangering safety and one count of endangering safety.

MCSO officials say after taking Rivera-Jimenez into custody and securing his vehicle, investigators were able to connect both to a March 24 road rage incident on northbound I-43 and W. Capitol Drive. Officials say Rivera-Jimenez allegedly fired at and struck another vehicle whose occupants were uninjured. 

He's charged with two additional counts of first degree recklessly endangering safety and one additional count of endangering safety by use of a dangerous weapon. 

In total, he faces seven felonies with possible penalties of 87-and-a-half years' imprisonment, fines of up to $175,000 or both.