Friday, July 11, 2025
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Friday, July 11, 2025

Milwaukee Press Club 'Excellence in Wisconsin Journalism' 2020 & 2021 Award Winners

FREED: Man Fatally Shot 17-Year-Old Milwaukee Gas Station Clerk in Eye; Shot 2 More in Head | Tony Evers’ Killers & Rapists # 4

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Since 2019, Gov. Tony Evers’ Parole Commission has released hundreds of convicted criminals, freeing them early on parole mostly into Wisconsin communities, including more than 300 murderers and attempted murderers, and more than 47 child rapists.



Danny Hall was one of them.

Fourth in the series.

Danny Hall left a trail of terror throughout Milwaukee County, when, in a single week, he shot three gas station clerks in the head for small amounts of money. There was no rhyme nor reason for it. He would enter a gas station, bring items for the clerk to ring up, announce a robbery and then shoot the clerks in the head even if they complied.

Gene Opalewski, 17, was an attendant at the Clark station at 5909 West Good Hope Road in Milwaukee. Hall shot the teen in the eye, killing him. It was Opalewski’s first night alone on the job, according to the Appleton Post-Crescent. A police officer found him lying on the floor. Hall had purchased almost $5 of gas.

The second clerk was shot at the Citgo Quik Mart at 1602 East Capitol Drive in the village of Shorewood. When he realized Hall was going to rob him, he said, “Take what I got,” but “the defendant put the cups down on the counter, reached over the cash register with his left hand, took the money and raised his right hand holding the gun and shot (the clerk) in the face just below the right eye,” court records say.

The third clerk was shot at the White Hen Pantry at 6829 North Teutonia Avenue, Milwaukee. Hall asked him for cigarettes and then he heard a bang and felt something strike the left side of his head.

“Opalewski’s death resulted from a gunshot wound to his head from a .25-caliber bullet later removed from his body during the autopsy. He was shot in the face in the right-upper eyelid.”

Hall admitted shooting “Opalewski from a kneeling position” after Opalewski saw his gun and fought him for it.


Danny hall
Danny hall

Evers’ Parole Commission Freed Danny P. Hall

Date paroled: 10/15/19 [You can run his parole date for yourself by putting his name in this DOC database and clicking on “movement”]

The released killer now lives: Milwaukee

Age: 62

Convicted: A Wisconsin State Journal article in 1979 said Hall was convicted of first-degree murder and 11 more charges, including armed robbery, attempted first-degree murder, reckless use of a weapon, carrying a concealed weapon, battery, attempted armed robbery and injury by conduct regardless of life.

Sentence: Life + 25 years

Danny hall Danny hall

Danny hall


The Victim: Gene Paul Opalewski, 17, a gas station attendant

Gene opalewski
Gene opalewski (find a grave)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


What the Killer Did:

According to court records, 11 of the crimes occurred between August 25th and September 2, 1978.

Hall, then 18, shot the three gas station clerks over a several-day period. According to court records:

The first incident occurred on August 25, 1978, at the Citgo in Shorewood. Hall shot a clerk in the face below the right eye. The shot could have been fatal, but the bullet did not strike vital organs, lodging in his neck. This clerk lived.

The second incident occurred six days later at the White Hen Pantry on Teutonia Avenue. The shooting was wanton. The clerk was ringing up a sale of cigarettes for Hall when Hall shot him in the left side of the head. This victim also lived.

Gene Paul Opalewski was an attendant at the Clark station at 5909 West Good Hope Road, Milwaukee. He was murdered during an armed robbery in the early morning hours (between 3 and 4:23 a.m.) of September 1, 1978.

On Sept. 1, a Milwaukee police officer was planted at the White Hen Pantry on Teutonia. He arrested Hall when he came into the store, and found a pistol with a live cartridge on his body.

The bullets from all three armed robberies matched Hall’s pistol.

Court records say:

“Opalewski was found lying on the floor in the cashier’s booth just behind the door. The cashier booth’s door was found unlocked at the time the police discovered Opalewski and there were half-dollars on the floor and around the victim’s body as well as in his right hand, while the cash register was empty of all currency.”

Hall said he had purchased about $5 of gas.

 

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(The Center Square) – Josh Schoemann, the only Republican currently in the race for governor next year, is criticizing Gov. Tony Evers’ approach to the next state budget by comparing it to his plans in Washington County.

“In Washington County our budget cycle starts right now, and it’s not due until November. We will propose our budget goals to the County Board in the next couple of months. We will share ‘This is what we’re thinking.’ It gives them months of time to think those through, give us feedback, and [have] that kind of dialogue,” Schoemann explained in an interview on News Talk 1130 WISN.

Schoemann said that is far better than the approach Evers is taking again this year.

“That’s not how government is supposed to work,” Schoemann said. “It’s not the vision of the governor. It’s not the vision of any one person.”

Evers and the Republican legislative leaders who will write the budget have been involved in on-again, off-again budget talks this month. On Thursday, the governor’s office said those talks were off once again because of gridlock in the Senate.

“Ultimately, the Senate needs to decide whether they were elected to govern and get things done or not,” Evers spokesperson Britt Cudaback said in a post on X.

Schoemann’s criticism of Evers is nothing new. He has long been a critic of the governor and has turned that criticism up since launching his campaign for governor.

But the recent criticism was also aimed at other Republicans who may jump into the 20206 governor’s race later this year.

“Nobody else in this race on the Republican side, being rumored to this point, has the executive leadership of skills and history to be able to show ‘This is how I’ve done it before, and here’s how we’ll do it Madison,’” Schoemann said. “The results in Washington County speak for themselves.”

Northwoods Congressman Tom Tiffany is also rumored to be looking to get into the Republican race. Before he went to Congress, Tiffany was a Republican lawmaker in Madison.

Businessman and veteran Bill Berrien is also on the short list of likely GOP candidates for 2026.

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Wisconsin Budget Negotiations Reach Impasse Between Evers, Legislature

(The Center Square) – Wisconsin budget negotiations have reached an impasse with both sides pointing fingers at the other in Wednesday afternoon statements.

Democratic Gov. Tony Evers said Republican Legislative leaders backed out of negotiations after he agreed to “an income tax cut targeting Wisconsin’s middle-class and working families and eliminating income taxes for certain retirees.” He said Republican leaders would not agree to “meaningful increased investments in child care, K-12 schools, and the University of Wisconsin System.”

Republican Assembly leaders said the two sides were "far apart. Senate leaders say Evers’ desires “extend beyond what taxpayers can afford.”

“The Joint Committee on Finance will continue using our long-established practices of crafting a state budget that contains meaningful tax relief and responsible spending levels with the goal of finishing on time,” said a statement from Assembly Speaker Robin Vos, R-Rochester, and Assembly Finance Co-Chairman Mark Born, R-Beaver Dam.

Evers said that there were meetings between the sides every day this week before the impasse.

“I told Republicans I’d support their half of the deal and their top tax priorities – even though they’re very similar to bills I previously vetoed – because I believe that’s how compromise is supposed to work, and I was ready to make that concession in order to get important things done for Wisconsin’s kids,” Evers said.

Senate Republican leadership said that good faith negotiations have occurred since April on a budget compromise.

“Both sides of these negotiations worked to find compromise and do what is best for the state of Wisconsin,” said a statement from Senate Majority Leader Devin LeMahieu, R-Oostburg, and Senate Joint Finance Co-Chairman Howard Marklein, R-Spring Green.

In early May, the Joint Committee on Finance took 612 items out of Gov. Tony Evers’ budget proposal, including Medicaid expansion in the state, department creations and tax exemptions.

Born previously estimated that Evers’ budget proposal would lead to $3 billion in tax increases over the two-year span.

Wisconsin Policy Forum estimated that the proposal would spend down more than $4 billion of the state’s expected $4.3 billion surplus if it is enacted.