Green Bay teen sentenced to 10 years in prison for 2024 shooting near Preble High School
GREEN BAY – Three days before an April 2024 shooting on Green Bay’s east side locked down Preble High and Danz Elementary schools, Brown County District Court Judge John Zakowski presided over a hearing in a juvenile case against the Green Bay teenager who would cause the shooting.
At the teen’s sentencing Tuesday, Zakowski said he feels bad that whatever he said at that hearing “must have gone in one ear and out the other.” Zakowski said judges often blame themselves when somebody they have been with for a long time, as he has with 16-year-old Freddrick Love-Kennedy, ends up back in their court.
“I feel bad about today, Freddrick,” Zakowski said before delivering the sentence. “You’re not a bad kid, not a bad person, Freddrick, and I still believe that.”
Love-Kennedy was sentenced to 10 years of initial confinement followed by 10 years of extended supervision after he pleaded no contest Jan. 17 to first-degree reckless injury with a dangerous weapon for shooting at and injuring a then-16-year-old boy Love-Kennedy had ongoing disputes with.
It was lucky Zakowski wasn’t presiding over a homicide case, prosecuting attorney Kimberly Hardtke said, as the victim had two gunshot wounds to his arm and bullet fragments in his face, suggesting he could have been shot in the head had his arm not taken the brunt of the shots.
Love-Kennedy was originally charged with attempted first-degree intentional homicide in the shooting, which occurred near the intersection of Mills and Village streets just after 12:30 p.m. April 19, 2024. The victim and friends were there to fight Love-Kennedy and his cousin, according to a criminal complaint, but Love-Kennedy approached the victim’s car and pulled out a gun.
Everyone in the car got out and ran when the car wouldn’t start, the complaint said, but the victim went back because he forgot his keys in the ignition. Love-Kennedy shot the victim twice in the arm and continued firing shots, pursuing the victim as he tried to run away, the complaint said.
“There are very few things worse or (more) cowardly than shooting at somebody in the back when they’re running away,” Zakowski said.
Freddrick Love-Kennedy is escorted to the defense table before a sentencing hearing on Tuesday, April 8, 2025, at the Brown County Courthouse in Green Bay, Wis. Love-Kennedy was sentenced to 10 years initial confinement and 10 years extended supervision after pleading no contest to a charge of first-degree reckless injury with a dangerous weapon stemming from an April 2024 shooting near Preble High School. Tork Mason/USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin
‘People just gave up on him’
A forensic psychologist spent over six hours administering several psychological test to Love-Kennedy, defense attorney James Schoenecker said, and his report found that Love-Kennedy experienced nine out of the 10 adverse childhood experiences, including abuse, neglect, violence, mental illness.
In the report summary, Schoenecker said the psychologist noted a brief period of medication in first grade that wasn’t continued despite the medication appearing to help Love-Kennedy, no history of psychological evaluations or family treatment services despite early recommendations for both and overall “pervasive neglect” in providing Love-Kennedy with the resources he needed.
“He’s had no stability in his life,” Schoenecker said. “He suffers from mental illness issues that were addressed and then people just gave up on him.”
The court has to consider Love-Kennedy’s age, developmental stage and potential for rehabilitation, Schoenecker said, and “his behavior is not indicative of lifelong patterns.” Keeping Love-Kennedy connected to his community and his family is vital in reducing his chances of recidivism, Schoenecker said.
The defense asked Zakowski to sentence Love-Kennedy to seven years in prison followed by seven years of extended supervision. While Love-Kennedy was convicted in adult court, he is only 16, Schoenecker told Zakowski, “please don’t forget that.”
Brown County Circuit Judge John Zakowski addresses the parties during a sentencing hearing on Tuesday, April 8, 2025, at the Brown County Courthouse in Green Bay.
‘We still believe in you’
Everything Schoenecker said about how Love-Kennedy was failed in his childhood, Zakowski said he agrees with. It’s something he sees often in his courtroom, thinks about constantly and even thought about Tuesday morning at Mass.
The circumstances people like Love-Kennedy face bothers him, Zakowski said, “it should bother everybody,” and he takes it into consideration when delivering sentences. However, Love-Kennedy’s case is “about as serious as it gets,” Zakowski said, and the “punishment has to fit the crime.”
That punishment, Zakowski determined, should be 10 years of intial confinement in prison and 10 years of extended supervision after release. Love-Kennedy apologized to the victim through a letter read by his attorney, something Zakowski said he was glad to hear after reading that Love-Kennedy continued to deny his actions to the pre-sentence investigator.
“Quite frankly, Freddrick, if you hadn’t apologized, I might have added another year just to strike home the point that you have to take responsibility,” Zakowski said.
Hopefully, in a more constructive and confined setting, Love-Kennedy will be able to mature and make better decisions, Zakowski said.
“Freddrick, someday I hope to see you out in this community, with a job, feeling loved and being happy,” Zakowski said. “I still, we still believe in you.”
Vivian Barrett is the public safety reporter for the Green Bay Press-Gazette. You can reach her at vmbarrett@greenbay.gannett.com or (920) 431-8314. Follow her on X, formerly Twitter, at @vivianbarrett_.
This article originally appeared on Green Bay Press-Gazette: Freddrick Love-Kennedy of Green Bay sentenced in 2024 shooting
