APPLETON, Wis. (WFRV) – A 21-year-old man has been sentenced following a dramatic shooting in Erb Park last June.
Tyrese Simmons has been ordered to serve three years in prison, followed by three years of extended supervision, by Emily Lonergan, judge in Outagamie County.
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According to court records, on the evening of June 25, 2024, Simmons approached a group of juveniles at Erb Park complaining about a phone that had been lost or stolen. He then pulled a gun from his backpack and fired into the air. Witnesses reported hearing three or four gunshots near the park pavilion.
In her remarks at sentencing, Judge Lonergan strongly addressed the broader impact of the incident. She noted how people ran from the park and dove into bushes after hearing shots, adding that the event could have destroyed a safe feeling families should have about being in a park.
Simmons, meanwhile, apologized in court. He said he, “lost his way” and wanted to show his family he doesn’t want to live that life anymore.
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Though no one was injured in the shooting, authorities recovered two spent 9 mm casing and one unexpended round near the pavilion and firearm in Simmon’s backpack when he was arrested.
No further information has been provided.
