Family remembers Corey Ruiz as loving father, son, calls shooting ‘execution’

From the Madison police shooting series

MITCHELL SCHMIDT
Jul 25, 2026
Jul 25, 2026 Updated Jul 29, 2026

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Participants in a vigil at Mt. Zion Baptist Church in Madison join the church’s choir in song Friday evening as local faith leaders and community members gathered after the fatal shooting of Corey Ruiz by a Madison police officer.

JOHN HART, STATE JOURNAL

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A banner bearing the names of people of color killed by members of law enforcement in the U.S., created during protests over the death of George Floyd in 2020, is displayed Friday evening during a vigil at Mt. Zion Baptist Church in Madison.

JOHN HART, STATE JOURNAL

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Members of the Mt. Zion Baptist Church choir sing Friday evening during a vigil at the church in Madison.

JOHN HART, STATE JOURNAL

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Participants in a vigil at Mt. Zion Baptist Church in Madison, Wis. join in a prayer during the service Friday, July 24, 2026. Local faith leaders and community members gathered for a night of healing and hope through prayer, reflection, sermon and song following the shooting death of Corey Ruiz during an altercation with Madison Police Department officers on Wednesday. JOHN HART, STATE JOURNAL

JOHN HART, STATE JOURNAL

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Dr. Marcus Allen, Sr. head pastor at Mt. Zion Baptist Church delivers remarks calling for peace and justice during a vigil at the church in Madison, Wis. Friday, July 24, 2026. Local faith leaders and community members gathered for a night of healing and hope through prayer, reflection, sermon and song following the shooting death of Corey Ruiz during an altercation with Madison Police Department officers on Wednesday. JOHN HART, STATE JOURNAL

JOHN HART, STATE JOURNAL

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MITCHELL SCHMIDT

Several relatives of Corey Durell Ruiz, who was fatally shot by a Madison police officer on the city’s Near East Side Wednesday, described the 38-year-old as an “exceptional” man who loved his family, especially his 13-year-old daughter.

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Ruiz-Crump-Presser-01-20260724-269156.JPGWIS0004089146.JPG — Kah'liyah Ruiz, 13, daughter of Corey Ruiz, speaks about her father and the two days since she received the news that he was fatally shot by a Madison police officer on Wednesday. Ruiz was armed with a knife at the time. Joining family members at a Capitol press conference Friday are the family's attorneys, B'Ivory Lamarr, rear left, and Ben Crump.
JOHN HART, STATE JOURNAL

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Ruiz-Crump-Presser-02-20260724-269094.JPGWIS0004089147.JPG — Attorney Ben Crump comforts Elsa Ruiz, whose son Corey Ruiz was shot to death by a Madison police officer, during a press conference at the state Capitol Friday.
JOHN HART, STATE JOURNAL

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Ruiz-Crump-Presser-03-20260724-269280.JPGWIS0004089148.JPG — Elsa Ruiz sobs while remembering her son, Corey Ruiz, during a press conference Friday at the state Capitol in Madison. Also pictured are Corey's daughter, Kah'liyah Ruiz, 13, and Ben Crump, the family's attorney.
JOHN HART, STATE JOURNAL

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Ruiz-Crump-Presser-04-20260724-269284.JPGWIS0004089149.JPG — Wearing a pin bearing a portrait of her father, Corey Ruiz, Kah’liyah Ruiz listens during a press conference at the state Capitol Friday.
JOHN HART, STATE JOURNAL

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Ruiz-Crump-Presser-05-20260724-269178.JPGWIS0004089150.JPG — Attorney Ben Crump speaks during a press conference addressing the police shooting death of Corey Ruiz at the Wisconsin State Capitol in Madison, Wis. Friday, July 24, 2026. Also picture are Ruiz' daughter, Kah'liyah Ruiz, 13, and fellow attorney B'Ivory Lamarr. JOHN HART, STATE JOURNAL
JOHN HART, STATE JOURNAL

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