City Issues 10-Day Suspension to Amani Gas Station

Gas Depot, 2707 W. Burleigh St. Photo by Sophie Bolich.

On July 22, an argument at Gas Depot, 2707 W. Burleigh St., escalated into gunfire, leaving one person non-fatally wounded while fleeing the scene. The incident, occurring just days after a community meeting on safety at the Amani gas station, marks the second shooting there in less than a year.

On Tuesday, the Milwaukee Common Council voted unanimously to suspend the gas station’s license for 10 days. The decision followed the recommendation of area Alderman DiAndre Jackson, who criticized employees for failing to notify police after last summer’s shooting.

“With that complete disregard for what we worked on and talked about for community safety, something has to happen,” he said.

But employees planned to call police all along, said owner Younas I Mohammad, who told licenses committee members the security guard first sought safety inside the building. Before he could make the call, police were already on scene.

Attorney Michael Maistelman, who represented Mohammad at the Sept. 12 licenses hearing, also outlined a series of recent improvements to the property.

Safety-focused changes include installing high-definition cameras, improving lighting for better visibility, removing a bus stop that attracted loitering, cleaning and repainting the property, hiring a new security company, attending neighborhood meetings and offering community support through initiatives like a back-to-school drive.

“We’ve tried to address the issues to [the alderman’s] and the neighbors’ satisfaction,” Maistelman said.

An earlier shooting took place Oct. 28, 2024, according to a police report, which states that officers recovered bullet casings near the gas pumps after a victim walked into a local hospital. A security guard was not working that night, according to the report.

Officer Nancy Rodriguez-Romo attended the hearing in opposition to the business. During testimony, she told committee members that Mohammad had not fully satisfied requests from MPD, including attendance at neighborhood safety meetings and joining the department’s surveillance-sharing network.

“Based on what we’re asking Mr. Mohammad and based on him not showing the District 5 his dedication and willing to improve within the area, I would like to see the hours decreased,” she said.

But several residents pushed back, noting that just one of the items on the police report occurred during extended hours. Four neighbors attended the meeting in support of Gas Depot, labeling it as a reliable stop for families in need of groceries and gas.

Two additional attendees, Jarvis and Christal West, shared conditional support for the business, but only with a demonstrated commitment to improvement.

Alderman Mark Chambers, Jr. moved for a 10-day suspension at the committee meeting, with support from Maistelman. “We concur,” the attorney said, adding that the business would use the time to regroup and improve.

However, Mohammad attended Tuesday’s full council meeting with a different attorney, David Bangert, who urged members to drop the suspension. The two submitted a lengthy objection to the council and brought Christal West in hopes of giving her the stand, but council members didn’t allow it.

The objection also included a written statement from Mohammad, who described Gas Depot as “a pillar of our community.” He wrote that customers stop in at all hours “to buy milk for their babies, snacks for their children, gas to get to work, or food to take on their night shift.”

“We have worked so hard to be part of the solution, not the problem,” Mohammad said in the statement. “Punishing us for something we did not cause will only hurt the very people we all want to protect.”

The suspension went into effect Sept. 23 and will end at midnight on Oct. 2.

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