At least 21 people were shot in three separate shootings in downtown Milwaukee’s bar area after Milwaukee Bucks Playoffwhich directed Thousands of people to the deer area.
The shooting, which occurred shortly after 11 pm, injured 17 people.
Milwaukee police said the victims ranged in age from 15 to 47, and all were expected to survive. Ten people were arrested and nine guns seized, according to a brief news release from Milwaukee police sent early Saturday.
Authorities have not released more information about the victims, the ages of the suspects, and what they believe led to the shooting.
The mass shooting occurred shortly after 11 p.m. Friday on North Water Street near Highland Street – just two hours and blocks away from an earlier shooting. As a result, three people were injured, including a 16-year-old girl.
In that shooting, police arrested a 19-year-old man and said two other men, aged 29 and 26, were wounded near the north corner of Martin Luther King Drive and Highland Street.
The gunshots prompted hundreds of fans to run through the deer area, where 11,000 people gathered Watch Game 6 of the Eastern Conference semifinal series between the Bucks and the Boston Celtics.
Shortly after this shooting, around 10:30 p.m., a 20-year-old man was shot on North Water Street near West Highland Street. It was not clear early Saturday morning whether the shooting of the man was linked to the mass shooting that later took place at the same location.
The Deer District attracted thousands of people downtown last year to cheer at the Bucks game. Area A . was considered by many to be Consolidation of space in the city With a reputation for discrete spaces.
On the Friday night after the game, the streets filled with people on what seemed like the first night of summer in the city.
Thousands of people flocked from the Fiserv Forum, Deer District and surrounding bars, with large crowds pouring into the streets in an almost festival-like atmosphere – filled with music, clouds of smoke and people stopping traffic for impromptu dance parties.
Then the shooting caused people to flee. a The Guardian magazine reporter Those who left the plaza around 11:30 p.m. heard sirens in all directions from dozens of police teams and ambulances and saw drivers running red lights, speeding, swerving, screaming at pedestrians and at least one driver going in the wrong direction on the street.
Violence hits a recreational district that has suffered two years of the pandemic and other high-profile incidents of gun violence, including two murders earlier this year.
Last month , Shannon Freeman, a 30-year-old father and beloved chef, was murdered at The Loaded Slate bar. Prosecutors said a 24-year-old man shot him 11 times and continued to do so even after he fell to the ground, after what appeared to be minimal interaction between the two inside the crossbar.
in february, Crystal N TuckerHe, 31, was killed, and two others were injured in a shooting at the Brownstone People’s Social Hall, where Tucker worked. The authorities say that The shooter has been denied access To the tavern due to her age restrictions, and after escorting her, he pulled out a pistol and opened fire.
‘Everyone has a gun’: Alderman links violence last summer
last summer, Violence in the Water Street area — including reckless driving, fighting and shooting — has drawn widespread attention and pledges from government officials to make sure the area is safe.
police pledge to preserve A ‘permanent presence’ in the area on weekend nights and House Bucks game nights. At the time, a pub owner told elected officials, “The chaos that has engulfed our street is nothing short of appalling and horrific.”
In a Saturday morning interview, Milwaukee Dr. Robert Bowman, who represents a large part of downtown, said he’s heard from condominium associations over the past month or two about their concerns about downtown violence last summer.
“I told them very frankly, based on the current circumstances, I don’t know why the violence didn’t happen again last summer,” Bowman said. “I mean, you have the same dynamics.”
“The police told me last year and I think it’s true again – everyone has a gun,” he added. “They outdid them, by far.”
He also expressed concern about the “underdeveloped” downtown, which he described as “non-pub patrons who just sit in or around their cars—drinking, smoking, playing music—and armed.”
“With it all going on again, there’s no reason why it couldn’t happen,” Bowman said. “Because all the same conditions are there for it to happen — guns, outlaw behavior, warm weather with the magnetic influence of Bucks.” “You almost pray for the cold and the rain.”
The councilman said he has been told that the police plan to increase staff and have a large presence downtown, but Bowman is calling for discussions about security limits around recreation areas, weapons checks and the removal of street parking in the area.
“They will have to consider removing all street parking in order to prevent the rear barrier from occurring,” he said.
Milwaukee Mayor Cavalier Johnson, Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley, and Council President Jose G. Perez were not immediately reached for interviews Saturday morning. Johnson is expected to speak with reporters later on Saturday.
This is an evolving story and will be updated.
Anyone with any information about the shooting is asked to contact Milwaukee Police at (414) 935-7360 or to remain anonymous, call Crime Stoppers at (414) 224-Tips or the P3 Tips App.
Contact Ashley Luthern at ashley.luthern@jrn.com. Follow her on Twitter at Tweet embed.