Wisconsin man given 16 years for shooting at kids throwing snowballs

MADISON, Wis. (WMTV) - Children threw snowballs at cars. A Milwaukee man fired back with a gun.

Now, the man has been sentenced to 16 years in prison after the 2020 incident. William Carson was sentenced on Friday after a jury convicted him in November.

Prosecutors said kids were throwing snowballs at passing cars. In response, Carson parked his car, got out and began firing at the children as they ran away. Then, he drove off. Carson was arrested after a police chase with officers during a suspected OWI and later crashed. Police found a gun that matched the description of the one used in the shooting.

“This is a remarkable case because of the senselessness,” Milwaukee County Circuit Court Judge Michael Hanrahan said. “It shocked the community, which sees a lot of different gun violence, and it shocked the whole nation.”

Prosecutors asked for 25 years in prison. The victims wrote a note, saying they have emotional and physical scars that still haunt them, some citing moving out of the state after the shooting.

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