A Wisconsin man has been convicted of fatally shooting a store cashier after an argument over how his pizza was prepared. Charles Leggett, 39, was found guilty Wednesday of first-degree reckless homicide and possession of a firearm by a felon following a three-day trial. He is scheduled to be sentenced on December 17.
The shooting happened on October 24, 2024, at Action Food and Liquor, near King Drive and Keefe Avenue in Milwaukee. According to the criminal complaint, a 911 caller reported hearing a heated argument between the shooter and the store’s cashier before a single gunshot rang out. When police arrived, they found the victim, 26-year-old Jamil Owies, behind the counter.
Despite life-saving efforts, he was pronounced dead at the scene. “It’s something that’s hurting a lot of us,” said Mohammad Owais, the victim’s brother. “To take someone’s life for no reason – that is unacceptable.” Surveillance footage captured the entire incident. Prosecutors said Leggett arrived at the store alone in a black Nissan Sentra around 11:45 a.m., placed an order, and then went to the back of the store before returning to the counter.
Though the video had no sound, investigators said Leggett appeared visibly upset as he gestured toward Owies. After a brief exchange, Leggett pulled a handgun, reached over the counter, and shot Owies once in the chest before fleeing. Detectives later identified Leggett through facial recognition software, which matched him to prior booking photos, as per WKRC.
The Nissan used in the crime was traced back to a previous incident involving mismatched license plates from 2022. Hours after the shooting, police located the same vehicle parked outside an apartment complex near 27th and Juneau.
Security footage from the building showed Leggett entering an apartment shortly after the shooting. When police searched the unit, they recovered a handgun believed to be the murder weapon, and inside the Nissan, they found Croc-style shoes identical to those worn by the shooter in the surveillance video.
After his arrest, Leggett told investigators that he confronted the store employee for making pizza “without wearing gloves.” When the cashier refused to remake it, an argument broke out. Leggett admitted to shooting Owies once, fleeing the scene, and later identifying himself in the surveillance footage.
Owies had recently become a father before his death — a loss his family says has shattered them beyond words.