2-Month-Old Baby Struck by Bullet on I-43 is Back Home; Authorities Looking for Suspect

MILWAUKEE COUNTY -- The two-month old baby grazed by the bullet of a road rage suspect on I-43 Sunday is reportedly back home, and police are asking for the public's help to find that suspect.

A witness described the suspect vehicle as a maroon, or possibly a darker red, newer model Lincoln MKS or MKZ four-door sedan. The most distinguishing features were the very dark tinted windows. No license plate information is available at this time. The vehicle was last seen exiting the ramp from northbound I-43 to the Hampton Ave. (east) exit.

Anyone having information or knowledge related to the shooting or the whereabouts of a vehicle that matches this description is encouraged to call the Milwaukee County Sheriff’s Office at 414-278-4788 to report the last known location of that vehicle and license plate.

Baby Back Home

On Tuesday night, Patch.com was made aware of a GoFundMe page set up for the family of Ava Schowalter, the 2-month-old baby who was shot in Sunday's incident. According to Ava's story on the GoFundMe page, she returned home sometime Monday to begin her recovery.

The fund raiser, set up to help the family cover expenses and time off work reported the following:

"Anyone who knows this family knows how wonderful and caring they are, and how much they love their children. This is why I want to help raise money for them, to take some of the financial burden off and so they can focus on their daughter's help."

You can visit the family's $5,000 fundraiser here.

Monday

New information released by the Milwaukee County Sheriff's office indicates the 2-month-old girl struck by gunfire on I-43 Sunday was grazed by a bullet that passed through the nearest car door and also through the infant's safety seat.

The two-month old girl is expected to live.

Milwaukee County Sheriff's detectives are attempting to identify the suspect’s vehicle.

Sunday Night

Motorists were greeted to an open road on I-43 for their morning commute Monday, about 12 hours after authorities shut down a stretch of highway near Keefe Ave. on Milwaukee's north side to investigate the shooting.

The incident happened at about 4:45 p.m. on I-43 near the Keefe Avenue exit located just west of Shorewood on Milwaukee's north side, according to North Shore Fire and Rescue.

At the time of the shooting, the driver pulled off the freeway and into the nearest parking lot on Hampton Road to await emergency responders. The young female was treated on the scene and promptly transported to Children's hospital where she is expected to survive.

The Milwaukee County Sheriff's Office is overseeing the investigation. Officials shut down northbound I-43 at Keefe for a period of three hours as deputies investigated the location of the actual shooting.

The circumstances surrounding the apparent road rage shooting on I-43 are currently under investigation as officers from the Milwaukee County Sheriff's office and the Glendale Police Department tend to the scene.

Photo: WISdot traffic camera, Milwaukee County Sheriff, GoFundME