MILWAUKEE – A Milwaukee County judge on Tuesday, Nov. 5, sentenced Ronald Johnson to 30 years in prison plus an additional 15 years of extended supervision in connection with a shootings and accident involving an ambulance in Milwaukee in December 2023.

Johnson pleaded guilty in October to one count of first-degree reckless homicide in the case. Four other charges against him were dismissed but read into the court record for sentencing purposes.

Case details

Prosecutors accuse Ronald Johnson, 68, of shooting two people — then crashing into an ambulance taking a third person to the hospital.

The shooting happened near 56th and Burleigh around 1 a.m. A 60-year-old shooting victim died at the scene. A 57-year-old victim was taken to hospital. A 30-year-old victim with non-gunshot wounds was also taken to the hospital.

An autopsy found the 60-year-old victim suffered five gunshot wounds to the head, face and chest.

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At the hospital, a criminal complaint states the 57-year-old victim told police the other two victims had been staying with him in recent days. He said he was awakened by the gunshots and saw “Smooth” standing next to a bed shooting at the 60-year-old victim. The 57-year-old said he himself was shot after “Smooth” said something like: “I’ll kill you too.”

The 30-year-old victim later told investigators, according to the complaint, that she was “suddenly awakened by being struck in the face by a hard object.” She said she saw “Smooth” shoot the other two victims. He then ran out of the house and called the police. She said “Smooth” recently threatened her via text message.

The complaint alleges that Johnson drove his Kia SUV into the ambulance that was taking the 30-year-old victim to the hospital.

The ambulance driver said, according to the complaint, that he saw the SUV heading north on 60th Street before entering the sidewalk and into the intersection — hitting the ambulance — before it began to flee on Burleigh Street. The driver said he “heard the Kia speed up,” but the driver appeared to lose control and hit a light pole.

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The driver went to the back of the ambulance to check on his partner and the 30-year-old patient. The complaint says when the driver opened the door, she said the 30-year-old exclaimed, “That’s him, that’s the guy that shot up the house … don’t let him get me.”

Police responded to the crash and located the driver of the SUV, identified as Johnson. The complaint states that Johnson’s speech was slurred and that he smelled of alcohol. A bottle of vodka and a cell phone were found inside the SUV. The fire department also responded and administered NARCAN for a suspected drug overdose.

Police later called a phone number provided for “Smooth,” the complaint states. The cell phone recovered from Johnson’s SUV rang when police called that number. Both surviving victims identified “Smooth” in a photo lineup; the complaint states that the photo for “Smooth” was Johnson’s booking photo.