Teen found guilty of killing man in Green Bay Walgreens parking lot

GREEN BAY, Wis. (WBAY) - A 17-year-old boy faces up to 38 years in prison.

Jeremiah Robinson pleaded no contest Thursday to three amended charges from a deadly shooting in a Green Bay drug store parking lot.

He pleaded no contest to reckless homicide and one count of recklessly endangering safety, which are felonies, and the THC charge, which is a misdemeanor. Second-degree reckless homicide was the most serious charge, carrying up to 25 years in prison.

Brown County Judge Thomas Walsh made sure Robinson understood his plea on Thursday.

“While he has only gone through 8 years of schooling, he has been receiving schooling in jail and based on our conversations, I believe he does understand,” said Robinson’s defense attorney Michael Balskus.

As part of the plea deal between the state and defense, six additional charges -- possession of a dangerous weapon by a person under 18, carrying a concealed weapon, party to the crime of possession of heroin with intent to deliver, and two other counts of 1st-degree recklessly endangering safety -- were dismissed with Robinson’s plea. They’ll still be read into the court record, and the fact that he was charged with them can be considered when determining the severity of his sentence.

According to plea deal documents, the state recommends that Robinson serve all three sentences at the same time, totaling 15 years in prison and 10 years of extended supervision. However, the final sentence is left to the discretion of the judge with a potential for 38 years in prison.

“I am not bound by any plea negotiations or recommendations of lawyers,” said Judge Walsh. “I am actually free to sentence you up to the maximum under state law.”

Robinson will be sentenced on July 18.

Robinson was 15 when the shooting happened early last year. Authorities say he fatally shot a 31-year-old man who started a fight with a man Robinson was with, in the parking lot of a Walgreens on W. Mason St. Robinson said it was self-defense, but prosecutors argued the victim was shot in the back.

An Auto Zone store across the street was hit by stray bullets, shattering windows, but no one in the store was hurt.

A police officer who heard the gunshots arrested Robinson, who ran from the scene. Police say he had a gun and 35 small bags of heroin.

Robinson was charged in adult court, and his bond was set at $1 million cash after his first appearance in February 2022. After being found guilty, the judge revoked his bond Thursday.

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