A Milwaukee teen is facing a felony charge in a crash last week that killed a 33-year-old man.

Prosecutors with the Milwaukee County District Attorney’s Office have charged Julian Stanberry-Sproles, 18, with hit and run – resulting in death, according to a criminal complaint released on Wednesday.

More: Milwaukee man faces homicide charges in hit-and-run crash that killed three women

If convicted of the charge, a Class D felony, Stanberry-Sproles faces up to 25 years in prison.

Stanberry-Sproles surrendered to Milwaukee police after the crash, which occurred June 7 on the 3500 block of West Capitol Drive just before 11 p.m.

Police said in a statement the accident occurred as the driver traveled west on Capitol and made a right turn to go north on North 35th Street. The driver hit the pedestrian as he attempted to cross the street.

More: Man charged in hit-and-run collision that killed two southside Milwaukee brothers

Demetrius Roman Roberson died at the scene.

Police said the driver initially fled the scene, but later turned himself in.

More: ‘A slap in the face’: Driver in hit-and-run death of Dana Williams gets 1 year behind bars

In April, the Wisconsin Policy Forum reported pedestrian-involved crash fatalities in Milwaukee County reached a two-decade high of 32 in 2022.

The nonpartisan policy research group also compared data from Milwaukee County to eight similar urban counties in other states. It found Milwaukee ranked slightly above the middle of the pack in traffic deaths in 2022, but the county ranked among the highest in traffic deaths for Black and Latino residents.

The Republican National Convention has officially moved into Fiserv Forum.

Planners and the “build-out” team started their work June 3 to turn the home of the Milwaukee Bucks into the main venue for the convention, which runs July 15-18.

But can the public still get into the arena at all before the convention? In particular, is the Bucks Pro Shop still open?

Here’s what to know about whether you can access parts of Fiserv Forum as the RNC continues setting up inside:

Is Fiserv Forum still open to the public before the RNC?

The atrium of Fiserv Forum closed to the public June 3, the same day the RNC began moving into the arena.

During the RNC, only people with credentials will be allowed to enter. The venue will be closed to the public during the convention.

Fiserv Forum will also remain closed to the public until the RNC finishes its post-convention “move-out,” an RNC source said.

More: What we know (so far) about how the RNC will impact those who live and work in downtown Milwaukee

Is the Bucks Pro Shop still open to the public before the RNC?

While visitors won’t be able to access the atrium, the Bucks Pro Shop will remain open to the public until July 8. There’s a separate entrance to the store that doesn’t run through the atrium.

The Bucks Pro Shop website notes the Fiserv Forum location will be closed through July 25, potentially indicating how long the move-out process will take.

During that time frame, the Bucks are asking fans to visit their other Pro Shop location at Bayshore mall, which is open Tuesday through Sunday. The Pro Shop also operates out of three Name of the Game stores in Wisconsin.

Will Fiserv Forum still offer public tours ahead of the RNC?

While Fiserv Forum typically offers behind-the-scenes tours, no public or private tours are being offered from now through September, according to the venue’s website.

When they are offered, the tours last about 90 minutes and cost $21.58 for adults and $16.19 for children.

More: What to know about Secret Service’s final planning for the RNC in Milwaukee

More: These Milwaukee restaurants and bars will be closed to the public during the RNC

Are there any concerts scheduled at Fiserv Forum this summer?

No concerts or shows are scheduled for Fiserv Forum until Aug. 2. But June and July are typically slower months for the venue — no concerts were held in those months last year, and just two the year before that.

More: Construction begins on FPC Live’s Deer District music venue in Milwaukee

Alison Dirr of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel contributed to this story.

Votebeat is a nonprofit news organization reporting on voting access and election administration across the U.S. Sign up for Votebeat Wisconsin’s free newsletter here.

The Milwaukee Common Council confirmed city election chief Paulina Gutiérrez on Tuesday after election staff had repeatedly voiced concerns about her appointment and one sent the mayor a letter a month ago saying she struggled to handle her job.

Gutiérrez, who joined the Milwaukee Election Commission in 2023 after holding jobs unrelated to election administration, is now slated to lead it through four elections in the next five months, including the contentious 2024 presidential election. She was confirmed unanimously without debate.

Through a public records request, Votebeat obtained two letters from staff members outlining concerns about Gutiérrez, which they sent after they learned of her coming appointment, in a surprise move that included the ousting of longtime director Claire Woodall.

Jonatan Zuñiga, a senior member of the commission staff, said in a May 3 letter to Mayor Cavalier Johnson that Gutiérrez “does not have the election administration, election law, WisVote voter registration system, or operations experience or knowledge needed to lead our department in a Presidential election.”

“Having worked closely with Paulina for the past year, I have witnessed firsthand how she continues to struggle with basic procedures within her area of management and with working effectively under stressful situations,” Zuñiga continued.

In his letter, Zuñiga said he wanted to draw attention to the “significant impact that this decision has already had on our 11-member team,” adding that two staffers stated their intentions to leave the election commission this summer.

“The prospect of losing two or more experienced staff members mere months before a presidential election is deeply concerning and presents an insurmountable challenge for our department,” he said.

The mayor’s office provided the letter Tuesday morning, moments before Gutiérrez’s confirmation vote and over a month after Votebeat requested communications about staff concerns.

Zuñiga released a statement Tuesday saying he wrote the letter the day he learned about the leadership change, which he called “a significant shock.” He added that after several meetings “to move forward, work together, and build trust,” Gutiérrez now had his full support.

“We are committed to ensuring the next four elections are secure, transparent, and accessible to all voters,” he said.

The other letter, sent by election commission training manager Jennifer Bennett on May 3, is less detailed but outlines that she has “specific concerns regarding Paulina’s ability to successfully lead our team.” Bennett didn’t respond to a request for comment.

In addition to the letters, election commission staff met with the mayor’s chief of staff and expressed their concerns about Gutiérrez in her presence.

The mayor’s office pushed back, saying the mayor “vehemently disagrees” with the concerns in Zuñiga’s original letter and describing Gutiérrez as “highly qualified and experienced in elections.”

“She has already improved processes and is well prepared for the special election, the primary election, and the general election coming up over the coming months,” Johnson spokesperson Jeff Fleming said on Tuesday.

“It is clear from the unanimous confirmation vote at the Milwaukee Common Council this morning that Gutiérrez is highly respected by leaders at the City of Milwaukee,” he continued. “The Mayor has great confidence in her ability and integrity as she leads elections here.”

Gutiérrez didn’t directly respond to questions about how she’ll respond to staff concerns, but thanked the city council for its vote of confidence and said she is focused on administering elections fairly.

In early May, Johnson appointed Gutiérrez to the job that Woodall had held since 2020. He hasn’t explained in detail why he didn’t choose to reappoint Woodall, who largely had the backing of election commission staff.

Woodall, who had previously worked in Milwaukee elections for 11 years, with a brief break in 2019 to serve as Cedarburg’s clerk, said she was ousted because she was quoted in a recent news article criticizing election staff over a ballot error. A spokesperson for the mayor said there was more to it but declined to be more specific.

In appointing Gutiérrez, Johnson said her “integrity and capabilities are ideally suited to this position. “I have confidence in her, and I will make certain the department has the resources it needs to fulfill its duties.”

Since appointing Gutiérrez, multiple election commission staff have told Votebeat and the mayor’s office that they’re concerned about her inexperience in elections and management style.

Bennett appeared concerned enough following news of the appointment that she called the mayor on his personal phone, which chief of staff Nick DeSiato said she shouldn’t do going forward, according to emails Votebeat received in response to a public records request.

Election officials say running elections is a highly stressful job requiring technical knowledge and the ability to make multiple consequential decisions in very short periods of time. That job is especially under the microscope in Milwaukee, Wisconsin’s biggest city and a Democratic stronghold, where the slightest mistake — or even a perceived error — can trigger speculation or suspicion of election malfeasance. Milwaukee has two special elections in July before the statewide August primary.

But Gutiérrez has reassured staff and the public that she’ll be up to the task.

In a memo to staff following her appointment, Gutiérrez said, “I am building a network of people with experience in elections to support our efforts in this upcoming critical election year. I am also connecting with other jurisdictions and election leaders to assist in my transition.”

Until early August she will also have Woodall, who took the temporary role of associate director to assist with the transition. The extended contract requires Woodall to work remotely but allows Gutiérrez to ask her questions about leading elections.

Gutiérrez breezes through Milwaukee confirmation process

Despite staff concerns over Gutiérrez’s appointment, she faced little pushback from city council members during the confirmation process. She received several letters of recommendation, including from former Supreme Court Justice Janine Geske and Milwaukee Harbor District CEO Tia Torhorst.

The most critical questioning in her confirmation process came during a committee proceeding on June 3 from Alderman Scott Spiker, who asked her whether she may be “a little too green for such a momentous election.”

In response, Gutiérrez said she’s been in her role since early 2023 and during that time led the city’s central count, where election officials tally absentee ballots.

“I have a large network of … former and current election officials that are just a phone call away, which has been great,” she said. “And again, elections are not run by just one person but by a group of people. And so I’m very lucky the staff that I have, who are committed to running elections, are consummate professionals, so I am confident in their abilities. And in places where I need assistance, I know where to go and get those resources. So I’m feeling really good about the future.”

Spiker also asked how Gutiérrez would deal with internal discord over her appointment.

“Change is hard, and different people react to it differently,” Gutiérrez said.

“I just want to assure everyone here today and the City of Milwaukee that our loyalty is to fair and transparent elections,” she said.

Alexander Shur is a reporter for Votebeat based in Wisconsin. Contact Alexander at ashur@votebeat.org.