Families of the El Rey shooting victims offer opposing views of the altercation that ended in tragedy

After guns were drawn and two people were killed outside of a south side grocery store last weekend, one of them a patron and the other a private security guard removing him from the property, two narratives have emerged.

One hails the security guard as a hero for performing his duty and keeping a neighborhood anchor business safe and orderly. The other paints the store’s security as over-reactive and responsible for escalating the situation.

The Saturday shooting outside El Rey grocery store, at 916 S. Chavez Drive, started around 10:21 a.m. with some kind of altercation inside the business and unraveled in the parking lot between the man and at least two security guards.

Milwaukee police said 36-year-old Luis J. Lorenzo fired shots that killed 59-year-old security guard Anthony J. Nolden. Shots fired from a second guard killed Lorenzo, and a 41-year-old innocent bystander was also injured from the gunfire, although it is unclear from which shooter.

Police have declined to specify who fired or drew a weapon first, but said Monday no arrests had been made while the Milwaukee County District Attorney’s Office reviews the actions of the store’s security guards. The police district where the shooting occurred took time on social media to express condolences for the loss of Nolden, the guard, and has not made similar comments regarding Lorenzo.

Lorenzo’s family has contested any suggestion that he was responsible for the shooting.

In a statement to the Journal Sentinel, Lorenzo’s family said he suffered from various mental health issues, including paranoia.

A warrant had been issued for his arrest after he missed a September 2021 court hearing regarding drug and fleeing charges, according to online court records, and he was barred from possessing firearms after being convicted of similar charges in the 2000s.

His family alleged Lorenzo had been profiled and stopped by security inside the store for having a backpack, which he refused to leave at a customer service counter because inside of it was a “large sum of money.” Family members have also told multiple local TV news outlets Lorenzo was wearing a ski mask.

As security escorted Lorenzo out of the store and through the parking lot, Lorenzo’s family said one guard tried grabbing him, which caused a struggle between the two and led to the shooting.

Lorenzo “should have never been pursued farther than the door once he was out the door,” the statement said. “The security here is way too aggressive and forceful.”

A Sunday vigil outside of the grocery store for Nolden attracted perhaps two dozen people, including business owners from the Clarke Square neighborhood and two nearby city alders who represent the area – José G. Pérez and JoCasta Zamarripa – according to a video of the event by H. Nelson Goodson of the Hispanic News Network U.S.A.

Perez and Zamarripa said they are planning a meeting with Police Chief Jeffery Norman and Milwaukee Mayor Cavalier Johnson to address public safety in the Clarke Square Neighborhood.

“We are really struggling over here," she said. “And we want to make sure that the public safety of neighborhoods here is secure and what it should be.”

Zamarripa, who grew up in Clarke Square and frequented El Rey, said she feels a sense of urgency to direct attention and resources to public safety in the area.

Emmanuel Nolden, the security guard’s nephew, joined other family and spoke highly of their uncle, highlighting his commitment to his job and making people feel safe. He said he leaves behind two children.

“My uncle was a superhero,” Emmanuel Nolden said as he held back tears while holding two relatives. ”He was a superhero when we were kids and now we are grown adults and he is still a superhero to us.”

“If you have any animosity with anybody…let it go," he said. “We are losing humanity at a rapid rate right now.”

Enoch Wilson, who worked with Nolden for more than four years, remembered Nolden as a man with a great work ethic who befriended everyone.

“Tony was everybody’s friend,” Wilson said. "He was everybody’s brother.”

Nolden was an employee of Marshal Public Safety, a private security company that serves Milwaukee and surrounding counties, sometimes with armed personnel. A representative for the company declined comment Tuesday.

According to the company’s website, its officers are outfitted with body cameras, peppery spray, a baton, handcuffs, a rescue knife and, at times, a semi-automatic firearm.

Video recorded by Goodson showed members of Marshal Public Safety tackling and placing some kind of hand restraints on a man after a disturbance following Sunday’s vigil.

After being released, the man later told Goodson on video he is a relative of Lorenzo and was there to “peacefully protest” his killing.

Wisconsin requires armed private security personnel to receive 36 hours of firearms training and six hours of refresher training to renew a permit annually.

Contact Elliot Hughes at elliot.hughes@jrn.com or 414-704-8958. Follow him on Twitter @elliothughes12.

Jessica Rodriguez is a Report for America corps reporter who focuses on news of value to underserved communities for the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Please consider supporting journalism that informs our democracy with a tax-deductible gift to this reporting effort at JSOnline.com/RFA.

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This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Milwaukee El Rey shooting victims' families speak out after tragedy