Jeremiah Taylor receives life sentence for Christmas Day double shooting
The 19-year-old was convicted in Milwaukee County for the deaths of Exziel Rivera and Nayah Vasquez near South 37th and West Scott streets.
By Samuel Hayes ·
Jeremiah Taylor began serving a life sentence on Thursday in Milwaukee County Circuit Court. The 19-year-old man was found guilty of two counts of first-degree intentional homicide with use of a dangerous weapon. The verdict ends a legal process that began after a jury convicted him following a trial where he had pleaded not guilty in September 2025.
The incident occurred around 11:30 a.m. on December 25, 2024, near the intersection of South 37th and West Scott streets. Prosecutors stated that co-defendant Quintarez Morris was driving when Taylor fired at two teenagers. Exziel Rivera, 15, died at the scene. Nayah Vasquez, 18, was transported to a hospital where she later succumbed to her injuries.
Morris had previously entered a plea of guilty to harboring or aiding a felon. He received a five-year prison sentence for his role in the case.
Ashlee Knight, a nurse who was at home nearby during the holiday, witnessed the aftermath. She checked Rivera’s pulse on the sidewalk before climbing into a vehicle to assist Vasquez. Knight described Vasquez as being in very rough shape with a gunshot wound to the head.
Knight said she contacted the families of both victims to offer condolences on Christmas Day. She noted the difficulty of witnessing violence on such a holiday. Taylor will now serve his life sentence for the two killings.
