Milwaukee Couple Report Terrifying Encounter with Bat-like Flying Humanoid

Lon Strickler of Phantoms and Monsters received a report of a bat-like flying humanoid with "large glowing red eyes" in Milwaukee, Wisconsin on May 1st.  The sighting, reminiscent of a similar event in Chicago's Piotrowski Park from last October, occurred on April 13th, 2018, between 10 and 10:30 p.m.

I discovered your website after doing some looking around on the web regarding flying creature reports. After reading through your blog I felt comfortable to report what happened to me and my boyfriend recently in Milwaukee, WI.

This occurred on April 13, 2018 at about 10-10:30 PM. We were parked in the parking lot next to the (REDACTED) which is right off of (REDACTED). I do not wish to discuss what we were parked there for, suffice to say it's a dark place to park at night.
My boyfriend looked up and totally freaked out when he says he saw a pair of large glowing red eyes staring right back at him. I looked up and saw something standing in front of my car with two glowing red eyes. It made a sound of chirping sound that we heard when we turned down the radio. When we moved, it put what looked like a hand on the hood of the car and then we saw what looked like wings spread wide open. I panicked and turned on the car which automatically turned on my headlights and it lit up what looked like a large bat. It had black skin that looked like glossy, wet leather that shined in the light. It then screamed at us, pushing its head out and its arms back and then flew up into the air. You could hear the wings flapping as it jumped up and within a few seconds, it landed behind my car, its body still able to be seen when I pressed the brakes and the brake lights shined.

Both of us were screaming at this point when it flew back up in the air and landed about 6 feet from the passenger side door where my boyfriend sat. We wasted no time in trying to get out of there. As we backed up and whipped the car around, we saw it land in front of us off to the side of the car about 3 feet away. I honked my horn and turned on my brights and it screamed again and flew up into the air. We screeched onto (REDACTED) and headed toward I think it was (REDACTED) when my boyfriend says he saw it land again just off the road on his side of the car. We did not stop to investigate and floored the car to get out of there. We got onto (REDACTED) and were passing the apartment buildings when we saw something fly right over the car, lower than the lamp post, screaming as it flew out of sight.

We got to my house and stayed in the car for about 15-20 minutes, I was hysterical and crying and my boyfriend was shaken up. It took me anouther 30 minutes to get myself together and go drop off my boyfriend and drive myself back home. I have had repeated nightmares since then and it's been difficult to sleep without the closet light on. My boyfriend also says he has had nightmares.

I hope you believe me and that you don't think I'm crazy. It could not have been a large bird like some people seem to say it might be. I know whatever it was must have been intelligent, it's just a feeling that I have that tells me so.

Strickler said he was able to make contact with the witness, and received additional details about the creature.

I estimate it stood about 7 feet tall, and the wingspan has to been about 7-8 feet or more wide. I almost got the feeling like it was toying with us, it knew we were scared sh*tless and it toyed with that by scaring us even further.

As far as physical reactions, it took me a few hours to finally get back to somewhat normal. I threw up twice just from jitters and I had a feeling like I was being watched, even though the curtains were closed.

Currently, I still feel like I'm being watched, almost like I'm marked in some way. Last night was the first night I slept without the lights being on and it took me about an hour and half to finally fall asleep. It's put me off to wanting to go out at night anymore, even though I have to to in order to finish college by July.

We've been out to that same spot countless times previous and this is the first time we've seen this thing.

An increase in the number of sightings coming from Wisconsin could mean that the phenomenon is more widespread than previously thought, according to Strickler.

"The sightings in Wisconsin are picking up," Strickler said in his blog.  "So it seems that there are now 2 metro areas involved with this phenomenon."

Strickler has withheld the exact sighting location to "prevent so-called local investigators from harassing witnesses."  However, the Singular Fortean Society can confirm that the encounter took place within a few miles of Lake Michigan.

The Singular Fortean Society was provided with the witness's contact information and the sighting location, and is currently awaiting a reply from the witness.  This article will be updated with any further details as they are received. 

Update 5/6/18: The Singular Fortean Society visited the sighting location midday on May 6th, but has so far received no reply to inquiries sent to the witness regarding the sighting.  The sighting location is bordered to the south and west by a state forest area.  The parking lot in which the sighting took place does not have any light sources, save for nearby stadium lights, but they would not have been lit during the encounter.  The lot is bordered to the east by a developed area.  

An image of the parking lot with cars facing west.

The ballpark and state forest to the west of the parking lot.

Facing north across the lot towards another ballpark with stadium lights.

View across the parking lot of the street and developed area to the east.

This is the latest news in a string of flying creature sightings reported around Lake Michigan.  Most of the sightings have taken place near the lakefront in Chicago within a few miles of Lake Michigan, although there are some reports coming from the suburbs surrounding Chicago and even farther afield.  The sightings generally take place in the evening or at night, often in or near a park, and around water.  Witnesses consistently describe a large, bat or bird-like creature, although in a small number of cases the creature was described as insect-like; and humanoid features such as arms and legs are often reported.  Many of the sightings are also of something seen only briefly or are described only as a flying creature with few details, which leaves open the possibility that a large bird or bird-like being could explain some encounters. 

To report a sighting, reach out to us directly at The Singular Fortean Society through our contact page.

You can view a timeline of the sightings so far here, and an interactive map here.

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