Three Wisconsin residents are dead after police said one man fatally shot them all during a domestic violence incident in Milwaukee last week.
Thomas Zollicoffer, 36, was charged with three counts of first-degree intentional homicide after he was arrested on Aug. 13, days after authorities said he fatally shot 26-year-old Vanessa DeHerrera, 29-year-old Scott Bucholz, and 39-year-old Shamarla 'Asir' Hare on the evening of Aug. 8.
Background
According to a criminal complaint reviewed by Law&Crime, police were called to an apartment complex in Milwaukee at 9:44 p.m. after receiving reports about a shooting. Officers found DeHerrera and Bucholz dead from gunshot wounds inside the residence. Detectives recovered six brass 9 mm casings at the scene.
A woman who said she lived at the apartment told police that DeHerrera had been staying there while she was in the process of leaving her boyfriend, identified as Zollicoffer. The woman said Zollicoffer came to the apartment around 4 p.m. that day and started arguing with DeHerrera. At some point, Zollicoffer gave DeHerrera his gun, but about 30 minutes before the alleged shooting, she returned it when he said he was going to leave. Police said he stayed at the apartment and 'began to drink more alcohol.'
When the woman left to go to her bedroom, she heard 'a gunshot, followed by four more gunshots,' and another person came into the bedroom and said, 'He shot her.'
Another witness who was at the apartment told police that he saw Zollicoffer allegedly point a gun at DeHerrera's head and say, 'I told you to quit playing with me.' He said Zollicoffer allegedly shot DeHerrera in the head, then turned the gun on everyone sitting on the couch. Zollicoffer then fled the apartment.
Witnesses outside the apartment who heard the gunshots said they saw a white sedan do 'a weird U-turn' before driving toward the apartment. They told police they saw a Black male run out of the apartment and get into the white sedan, which sped away.
The Investigation
According to authorities, there was a second alleged crime scene in another part of Milwaukee. Police said they spoke to several witnesses who were at Hare's apartment around 5 p.m. the same day. One witness told police she heard someone knock on the door and ask for someone who was not present. A different witness answered the door and let Zollicoffer inside.
Police said Zollicoffer told Hare, 'I wanna talk to y'all, I got something to tell y'all,' while Hare walked toward the door. A witness told police that Zollicoffer grabbed Hare, saying, 'I said I wanted to talk to y'all.' Zollicoffer then allegedly pulled a gun from his waistband, said to Hare, 'I can't stand you anyways,' and shot her.
After saying, 'Look at what you made me do,' he allegedly shot Hare again 'at close range.'
Zollicoffer allegedly told a witness 'I just killed my baby mama' before pointing a gun at her. He then took a pack of cigarettes from another witness and left the residence 'with tears rolling down his face.' One of the witnesses called 911 after Zollicoffer left.
Hare was taken to the hospital, where she succumbed to her injuries. Detectives found two brass 9 mm shell casings at the scene.
Police tracked Zollicoffer down at another residence on Aug. 11. Following a standoff with police, Zollicoffer eventually complied with orders to leave the residence and allegedly tossed two loaded guns onto the pavement. One was a black Taurus G2C 9 mm pistol.
After receiving his Miranda rights, Zollicoffer allegedly said he did not mean to kill DeHerrera when he went to see her on Aug. 8. However, police said, he 'lost it' and ended up shooting her in the head. Zollicoffer allegedly shot Bucholz because he was 'talking s—.' When asked why he allegedly shot Hare, Zollicoffer said 'the motherf—er grabbed me.'
Key Takeaways
- Thomas Zollicoffer, 36, has been charged with three counts of first-degree intentional homicide and four counts of felony firearm possession
- Police say Zollicoffer killed Vanessa DeHerrera, the mother of his two children; Scott Bucholz, who authorities say was trying to intervene in the domestic dispute; and Shamarla 'Asir' Hare
- According to witnesses, before shooting Hare, Zollicoffer allegedly said: 'I can't stand you anyways'
- Police say Zollicoffer confessed after being read his Miranda rights, admitting to all three killings but claiming some were not intentional
What's Next
Zollicoffer is currently in custody at the Milwaukee County Jail, where he is being held on $250,000 cash bond. He was scheduled to appear in court for a preliminary hearing. The case remains under investigation by the Milwaukee Police Department.