Trial opens for Milwaukee gas-station guard charged in 2023 killing tied to alleged shoplifting
Jury selection begins in case centered on fatal shooting after alleged theft of snack cakes
A Milwaukee County jury trial opened Tuesday, January 20, 2026, for a private security guard accused of fatally shooting a man outside a north-side gas station during what investigators describe as a confrontation sparked by suspected shoplifting.
William Pinkins, 58, is charged in the August 2023 death of 29-year-old Isiah Allen. Prosecutors allege Allen entered Teutonia Gas and Food near Teutonia Avenue and Roosevelt Drive, took a box of Little Debbie snack cakes and began to leave. Investigators say surveillance video shows Pinkins drawing a handgun, chasing Allen and shooting him in the head.
What happened in court on January 20
Court proceedings on Tuesday focused on preparing a jury to hear the evidence. Pinkins initially declined to wear street clothes for court, then later put a T-shirt over jail-issued pants. Jury selection proceeded through the afternoon, and a panel of 14 jurors — six women and eight men — was seated.
Prosecutors are expected to begin presenting their case on Thursday.
Key facts likely to shape the trial
Video evidence: Investigators have referenced security video that they say captures the chase and shooting outside the store.
Post-shooting conduct: Investigators allege Pinkins remained at the scene and made statements to responding officers that he did not see the shooting before leaving. Authorities say he turned himself in two days later.
Firearm legality: Pinkins has a prior homicide conviction and, under the prosecution’s theory, was not legally permitted to possess a gun.
Broader scrutiny of private security and business oversight
The case has drawn sustained attention not only because of the allegation that lethal force followed a suspected theft of low-value items, but also because it raised questions about how private security is hired and supervised at neighborhood businesses.
After the shooting, the gas station’s license was revoked in 2023, and the incident became a reference point in city discussions over whether Milwaukee should add new local requirements for private security personnel. A proposed city ordinance aimed at creating a local licensing framework faced legal challenges and was later dropped, leaving state law as the primary set of rules governing who can work in private security roles and under what conditions.
As the trial proceeds, jurors will be asked to evaluate what the video shows, how the confrontation unfolded, and whether the prosecution has proved the charged offenses beyond a reasonable doubt.
The court is expected to continue with testimony later this week.