Surviving victim of Modesto triple shooting on Semple Street loses fiancee, cousin
The victims in Friday night’s triple shooting near downtown Modesto have been identified by family as cousins Brandon Wheeler and Jimmy Sullivan and Jimmy’s fiancee, Emilia.
The three were shot in front of a home in the 200 block of Semple Street, a few blocks north of Downey Avenue, after returning from a drive-in movie in Ceres Friday night.
Sullivan and Emilia’s children from previous relationships were in the house when the shooting occurred but were not harmed, said Jimmy Wheeler, brother to Brandon Wheeler and cousin to Jimmy Sullivan.
Brandon Wheeler, 40, and Emilia, 29, died from their injuries. Sullivan was hospitalized and is expected to survive.
The Bee is not using Emilia’s last name because it could not be confirmed through family members.
“Jimmy, he’s been through so much in his life ... for him to lose his fiancee and cousin and survive; it will be unimaginable the pain he will suffer,” said Jimmy Wheeler.
He said both his brother and cousin have had some rough patches in life but they are good people.
”We want prayers and thoughts to go out to our family,” Jimmy Wheeler said.
There were candles and flowers around the pathway to Sullivan and Emilia’s home on Monday.
One neighbor said Emilia looked out for the elderly people in the neighborhood. She regularly checked on one woman and brought her food and another she gave her recyclables to so she could have some extra cash.
The family was last together to celebrate Brandon Wheeler’s 40th birthday less than two weeks ago at his Oakdale home, said their cousin, Marcus Rojas.
“None of them deserve this, it is tough for our family ... it is not just one (family member) it is three,” Rojas said.
A Go Fund Me has been established to help cover Brandon’s funeral expenses.
No suspect information or motive has been released by Modesto Police.
Police ask anyone with information about the incident to contact Crime Stoppers at 209-521-4636 or Detective Joshua Grant at 209-342-9104.
This story was originally published October 20, 2020 at 7:14 AM.
