The Milwaukee man who confessed to causing a six-vehicle crash that flipped a school bus and injured four people, including a 3-year-old and mother is heading to prison.

Milwaukee County Circuit Court Judge Glenn H. Yamahiro on Tuesday sentenced Elijahwan H. Shabazz to 11½ years behind bars.

He also ordered Shabazz to serve eight years of extended supervision when he is released.

Yamahiro described the crime as “one of the worst” cases of reckless driving he had ever seen in his more than 20 years on the bench.

“It’s a minor miracle no one is dead from this,” Yamahiro said.

Shabazz, 27, pleaded guilty in June to first-degree recklessly endangering safety, neglecting a child, eluding an officer, hit-and-run involving injury and bail jumping.

Here’s what happened that day

Prosecutors say Shabazz was behind the wheel of a car on Nov. 29 that police were attempting to pull over on the 9100 block of West Thurston Avenue. Officers believed the vehicle was connected to a homicide in Chicago.

The driver wouldn’t stop and a pursuit ensued. The chase ended in a collision with a school bus on North 76th Street and West Capitol Drive. The collision caused the school bus to flip onto its side, triggering a second collision with several other vehicles, police said.

No children were aboard the school bus at the time; the 72-year-old school bus driver had just dropped off the passengers, and was taken to a hospital with nonfatal injuries.

A 3-year-old child who was in the car with Shabazz was injured and suffered a gash on her face.

“This is the kind of behavior that make people afraid of traveling on certain streets in our community,” Assistant District Attorney Matthew Torbenson said.

Torbenson said it’s not believed Shabazz was involved in the Chicago homicide.

Court records show Shabazz had other open cases against him at the time of the crash:

• In 2018 and 2019, Shabazz was charged in two separate cases involving allegations of illegal drug and firearm possession. In each case, he was freed on signature bonds totaling $1,350. That meant he did not have to pay the money upfront to get out of jail.
• In February 2021, he pleaded guilty to charges associated with the 2019 case, but a sentencing hearing was delayed.
• In April and July 2021, Shabazz was charged with two more felonies. The first involved more allegations of drug possession. In the second case, he was accused of hitting a 16-year-old pedestrian with his car and was charged with hit-and-run causing great harm.

Shabazz posted a $2,500 bail three days after being charged in the April case. In the July case, he posted a $2,800 bail before his first court appearance – which wasn’t scheduled until March 2022.

A 16-year-old Milwaukee boy was shot and killed on Saturday.

The Milwaukee Police Department said that the shooting occurred at about 3:02 a.m. on the 4200 block of South 52nd Street, the department said in a news release. The boy was pronounced dead at the scene.

The Milwaukee County Medical Examiner identified him as Benjamin Mazaba. Journal Sentinel attempts to reach his family were unsuccessful.

Police said they continue to search for unknown suspects and that there is an active investigation.

Mazaba’s death was the 81st homicide in Milwaukee so far this year, according to Milwaukee police data. That’s down 14% from the same time period last year and 38% from 2022.

There have been at least 31 people who are 17 or younger that have been killed so far this year, according to data from the Milwaukee Homicide Review Commission updated through June 3.

The department is asking anyone with information to contact them at 414-935-7360. To remain anonymous, contact crime stoppers at 414-224-Tips or P3 Tips.

Mitchell International Airport is seeking bids to demolish and construct a new concourse and international terminal building that will be attached to the main terminal.

The airport has four requests for proposals available for contractors to bid on. One for the demolition of concourse E, one for the development of “new concourse E,” one on boarding bridges and another on fueling.

More: Milwaukee’s airport has charming stores and unique offerings. Learn a bit about them.

The work includes excavation, demolition, construction, fueling system work and installation of passenger boarding bridges.

Harold Mester, director of public affairs and marketing, said “Nothing is imminent at this time.”

“The project was largely designed five years ago, but was delayed due to our revenues being down during the pandemic,” Mester said in an email. “Since then, costs have increased and we are seeking a federal grant. Any potential federal funding won’t be announced until next year. But we are being proactive so that we are ready to go if funding becomes available.”

The international concourse construction was originally scheduled for January 2021. Since the delay, costs have risen from $55 million to roughly $85 million, airport director Brian Dranzik said in March.

Also in March, the airport was awarded a $5.1 million grant from the Federal Aviation Administration. The funding came from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act.