MILWAUKEE — A Milwaukee County judge has evicted a tenant who operated an unlicensed business and hosted illegal parties, with court documents connecting his most recent gathering to a deadly shooting that occurred just blocks away.
Jonathan Springfield-Burnett was evicted from his business at 46th and Fond du Lac after failing to pay $62,000 in back rent and operating without required permits and licenses for two years. The eviction came after Milwaukee police cited Springfield-Burnett three times for throwing illegal parties without a public entertainment license.
The case gained urgency when police connected one of Springfield-Burnett's parties to a triple shooting that killed 19-year-old Jarvis Phillips Willis on November 1.
According to a search warrant, one of the shooting victims told police he was running out of the building with approximately 30 people prior to the shooting that police say occurred two blocks away.
"He basically admitted to hosting another illegal party," said Milwaukee Police Officer Daryal Goss, who responded to the scene.
The search warrant reveals that the shooting victim described "a scuffle behind him between another group of people" as dozens rushed from the building. Police found 31 fired 9mm casings at the shooting scene.
Milwaukee Police Department records show Springfield-Burnett received citations for illegal parties on the night of the shooting and the night before.
Watch: Unlicensed business tenant evicted after illegal party linked to shooting
"This guy is a hazard to the public safety," said Michael Maistelman, the landlord's attorney. "Somebody lost their life because of this."
Springfield-Burnett disputed the connection to the shooting during and after the court hearing.
"We're being associated with a shooting which is not based on facts, but assumptions," Springfield-Burnett said.
When asked if he regretted holding parties without a valid business license, Springfield-Burnett responded: "As I stated in court, we were doing everything right to make updates and things happen."
He emphasized the distance between his business and the shooting location, saying they were "on the 4600 block and the shooting happened on the 4800 block, which is two blocks away."
Judge Thomas McAdams granted the eviction request, citing both the unpaid rent and the lack of proper licensing.
Maistelman warned that if Springfield-Burnett attempts to return to the property, he could face criminal charges.
"The police have asked us to board it up in the past, which we did. He broke down that. We changed locks. He broke in, he got a locksmith," Maistelman said. "If he does it now, that will be criminal trespass and the price will be greater than a mere citation."
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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