Crime
Suspect arrested in connection with the shooting of Milwaukee Police Officers
MILWAUKEE, WI — A 22-year-old man has been taken into custody in connection with the shooting of two Milwaukee police officers, an incident that occurred late Thursday night on the city’s north side.
According to the Milwaukee Police Department (MPD), the suspect was apprehended without incident at approximately 2:15 a.m. on Friday, June 27, 2025.
The arrest came less than 24 hours after the suspect allegedly opened fire on two officers in the 2200 block of North 24th Place near West Garfield Avenue.
The suspect, who was reportedly armed with a rifle at the time of the shooting, is now facing multiple criminal charges, which will be formally presented to the Milwaukee County District Attorney’s Office in the coming days.
“This arrest was made possible through the coordinated efforts of our department and our local law enforcement partners,” said an MPD spokesperson. “The Milwaukee Police Department remains steadfast in its commitment to protecting our community and ensuring that those who endanger the lives of officers and civilians alike are held fully accountable.”
Both officers who were wounded in the attack remain hospitalized and are receiving treatment for their injuries. Their conditions have not been publicly disclosed. MPD is asking the public to keep the officers and their families in their thoughts during this difficult time.
The suspect has a prior criminal record and was recently the beneficiary of a controversial deferred prosecution agreement. In 2021, he was charged with vehicle theft and obstruction of an officer. However, just two months ago, a deferred prosecution agreement was approved, resulting in those charges being dismissed contingent on his compliance with specific conditions.
Court records reveal that the suspect had failed to appear in court on at least two occasions, prompting the issuance of bench warrants. Despite those failures to appear, the deferred agreement was still granted.
The judge who signed off on that agreement in 2023 was Judge Hannah Dugan, who is currently facing unrelated federal charges for allegedly assisting a violent undocumented immigrant evade immigration authorities by allowing him to exit her courtroom through a restricted exit.
The shooting of the two officers has intensified scrutiny of prosecutorial and judicial discretion within Milwaukee’s criminal justice system.
City officials and law enforcement leaders have not commented on the suspect’s legal history but have reiterated the importance of accountability and safety.
The investigation into the shooting remains active.
Authorities have not yet disclosed the circumstances leading up to the incident or whether the officers were responding to a specific call.
Further updates are expected as the Milwaukee District Attorney’s Office prepares to file formal charges.
Crime
Mustapha Kharbouch Now-Deleted 2024 Manifesto Published in Institute for Palestine Studies Recovered
Brown University has removed multiple online references to student activist Mustapha Kharbouch in the days following a deadly campus shooting, a move that has drawn public attention amid heightened online speculation—despite law enforcement officials confirming that no suspects or persons of interest have been identified in the investigation.
Archived versions of Brown University webpages show that Kharbouch, a first-year student at the time, was previously listed in several university-affiliated roles, including as a student assistant and Cultural Programming Coordinator connected to the Global Brown Center.
His academic interests were described as focusing on International and Public Affairs and Anthropology, with involvement in Middle East–focused academic, cultural, and student programming.
Those pages are no longer accessible, and Kharbouch’s social media accounts have also been deactivated.
A verified buyer from the United States with the name “Mustapha K.” reviewed a 9MM muzzle brake through the Wing Tactical website on December 29th, 2024 — the same caliber used in the Brown shooting.
There are approximately a few hundred people in the entire United States with that first name + last initial combination.
University officials have not issued a public explanation for the removal of the online profiles.
The changes occurred as online speculation intensified in the immediate aftermath of the shooting, with social media users circulating screenshots of archived university pages and past writings associated with Kharbouch.
Among the materials resurfaced by online users was a 2024 essay authored by Kharbouch and published by the Institute for Palestine Studies as part of a special student essay series titled Genocide in Gaza: Student Essays — Brown University Encampment 2024.
The essay, titled “I Hear the Voice of My Ancestors Calling: From the Camps to the Campus,” was published on August 13, 2024, months before the shooting. The piece is a first-person reflective essay examining Palestinian identity, intergenerational memory, student activism, and questions of hope amid displacement, war, and protest.
The article includes poetic excerpts adapted from “Ancestors Song,” a chant popularized during student-led Palestine solidarity actions at Brown University, and documents Kharbouch’s participation in campus organizing efforts, including sit-ins, hunger strikes, rallies, and the Brown Gaza Solidarity Encampment.
The essay situates these experiences within a broader discussion of decolonial thought, feminist theory, and Palestinian history, including reflections on the 1948 Nakba and the author’s family history as a third-generation stateless Palestinian refugee raised in Lebanon.
The content of the essay is ideological, autobiographical, and academic in nature.
There is no reference to violence on campus, nor any indication of intent or planning related to criminal activity.
The Institute for Palestine Studies has not issued any statement suggesting the piece is under review or connected to the shooting.
Despite widespread online conjecture, law enforcement agencies, including the FBI and Providence Police, have not named Mustapha Kharbouch as a suspect or person of interest, and have publicly stated that there is no evidence linking him to the shooting.
Investigators have emphasized that the case remains active and that conclusions are being guided strictly by verified evidence.
Authorities have cautioned against drawing inferences from online speculation, warning that unsubstantiated claims can compromise investigations and cause undue harm to individuals not implicated by facts.
Media analysts and campus observers have suggested that Brown University’s decision to remove online references may have been taken as a protective or precautionary measure, particularly as misinformation and harassment proliferated across social media platforms following the attack.
Similar actions have been taken by institutions in other high-profile incidents to limit doxxing, targeted harassment, or the misinterpretation of publicly available biographical information during periods of heightened tension.
Brown University has not confirmed whether the removals were temporary, administrative, or safety-related in nature.
Authorities continue to urge the public to rely on confirmed information released by law enforcement and to avoid amplifying unverified narratives.
As of the most recent update, no arrests have been announced, no individuals have been publicly identified as suspects, and the investigation remains ongoing.
Anyone with credible information related to the shooting has been asked to contact investigators directly.