2025 Emergency Gun Violence Summit; Milwaukee leaders reveal date

MILWAUKEE - Milwaukee leaders gathered on Thursday morning, July 17, to address gun violence and announce the date and location of the 2025 Emergency Gun Violence Summit.

That summit is now set for Oct. 15 in Milwaukee. People interested in attending are asked to register in advance.

2025 Emergency Gun Violence Summit

What we know:

Forward Latino and the 80% Coalition for Gun Violence Prevention were joined by elected officials, first responders, as well as faith, education and community leaders. 

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A news release says the 2025 Emergency Gun Violence Summit began three years ago. Subjects covered at the summit include violence and gun violence prevention, community violence intervention strategies, proactive approaches to school safety, domestic violence and suicide prevention methodologies, as well as faith-based violence prevention sessions and more.

What they're saying:

The city leaders shared their passionate thoughts about gun violence in the city – and why it needs to be addressed now. 

"Gun owners, legitimate gun owners, they must be responsible in securing their weapons in order to reduce, the chance that these guns are stolen," said Milwaukee Mayor Cavalier Johnson. "And it takes more than, laws, more than policing. It takes family members, it takes neighbors, it takes community groups, it takes religious organizations, everyone to step up to make sure that guns are not used in anger."

"This summit gives us all the opportunity to be in the same space to talk about this, because whether you live in the city or you don't, there is no way this doesn't affect you," said Milwaukee Assistant Police Chief Nicole Waldner. "There's no way you can hear about a 13-year-old being shot and not feel something, or that a dad shot a 4-year-old and unfortunately, all the officers and all the detectives that I work with know that intimately."

"This issue came to my attention as the new superintendent when I was sitting at a board meeting. When we take a moment of silence for our children, and I'm sitting there down getting the moment of silence, and they're reading the names and I'm expecting to raise my head and begin the meeting," said Milwaukee Public Schools Superintendent Brenda Cassellius. "And I'm still with my head down and the names keep getting read and read and read and read. And I thought, why is this going up? What are all these names? And then it was the next board meeting, and we had the moment of silence, and the same damn thing happened. We heard children's names being read again and again and again, and I went to my staff and I asked, how many children have died to gun violence this year? Twenty-four were on that list. So then I went and I looked at what is overall Milwaukee's homicide rate is. Forty-three percent are children. This is not acceptable."

Cassellius said Milwaukee Public Schools will be including part of this year's budget to focus on a program to help keep kids safe as well as provide resources and support that includes after-school programs, summer jobs and learning activities such as safety hubs for students.

"I want to get to zero children dying to gun violence. Next year, let's make that a community guide goal," Cassellius said. 

"So if you think this is a city issue or a black and brown issue, you are sadly mistaken. This is a Wisconsin issue that we all need to address together," said Forward Latino National President Darryl Morin. 

A parent's perspective

What they're saying:

Debra Gillespie's story was shared at Thursday's news conference. Twenty-two years ago, her son, Kirk Bickham Jr. was shot and killed outside of a bar on Port Washington in Milwaukee. 

"Who can imagine her son coming home from college and being murdered. you just don't see that one come," Gillespie said. "You're waking up thinking it was a bad dream until reality sinks in."

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Gillespie says in terms of gun violence in the city, accountability is needed.

"We definitely need to develop responsible gun legislation. We do need to invest in urban areas, and we also need to come up with a way to reach communities that are not invested in," Gillespie said.