Milwaukee shooting: 4-year-old boy dead, 2 people arrested

MILWAUKEE - A 4-year-old boy was shot and killed in Milwaukee on Thursday night. Police arrested two people, one of whom is suspected of first-degree intentional homicide.

Child dead

What we know:

It unfolded at an apartment near 75th Street and Northridge Lakes, just north of Brown Deer Road. The Milwaukee County Medical Examiner's Office identified the victim as Ralph Taylor III.

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Milwaukee police records show two people were arrested at the address where the shooting took place. A 34-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of first-degree intentional homicide, and a 33-year-old woman was arrested on suspicion of aiding and abetting a felon.

What we don't know:

Those two people have not been identified, but public records show they share a last name with the 4-year-old victim.

Police said they are still investigating the boy's death and would not say whether the shooting was intentional or accidental. However, the medical examiner listed the preliminary manner of death as homicide.

What's next:

Criminal charges will be referred to the Milwaukee County District Attorney’s Office.

Neighbor reacts

What they're saying:

Neighbor Tangella Williams said she was outside with her kids when she heard a gunshot.

"We all heard a gunshot. And my mommy instinct hit, and I’m like: ‘Everybody get in the house.’ I was outside cussing, ‘Get the **** in the house,’" she said.

Then, Williams said she heard her neighbor: "The mom, she was screaming: ‘My baby, my baby, my baby.’"

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Williams said she and two others rushed into the apartment to help. She said the performed CPR, but the boy was "just laying there lifeless."

"He had a hole in the back of his head. The hole was in the back of this baby’s head," Williams said.

She said the neighbor then came by and asked Williams to watch her purse.

"I told the officers: ‘She gave me her purse. Can you take this? There might be a handgun in it.’ There was," added Williams.

Williams described the 4-year-old as "the sweetest kid ever, just a sweetheart."

‘Emergency Prayer Gathering’

Local perspective:

Dozens of people came together at The Crossover Center, just around the corner from where the boy was shot. It offered the community time to pause and pray.

"I got a 4-year-old son, and it made me go home and love him and wrap my arms around him," said Pastor Parris Hibbler. "This has hit the city very differently, so it caused me to reflect and be grateful, but also to reach out."

Aside from groups gathering in prayer, members of violence prevention group 414Life came in hopes of healing the neighborhood.

"It's disheartening. You never want to hear or witness a tragedy that has anything to do with our young people," said David Sinclair, an outreach supervisor with 414Life. "It's really important when situations like this happen that people in the community, and families, are putting their arms around each other."

Official statements

What they're saying:

Milwaukee Ald. Larresa Taylor, who represents the district where the shooting took place, released the following statement:

"It is deeply upsetting that yet again the 9th District has been struck with a tragic, gun-related death. This time the victim was a 4-year-old child. A child who had their whole life in front of them. These incidents shake our community to the core, and many are devastated by this most recent loss.

"I, and many others, continue to be angry and frustrated by these incidents because they are wholly preventable. Be smart and be safe. Gun safety is a must. Use a gun lock. Properly store your guns, especially when children are present. And perhaps most importantly, seek alternative options before you reach for a gun to resolve a conflict. There are countless resources available – including local organizations like the city’s Office of Community Wellness and Safety, Safe and Sound, representatives from 414Life and Promise Keepers, in addition to the Milwaukee Police Department. 

"There are ways to protect and support our community, and working together is one of them. To that end, I want to thank local Pastor Parris Hibbler for organizing an emergency community prayer and support event for those impacted in the area. 

"We must come together so as a city we can rise above, and be better than the gun violence we see far too often. In this moment, let’s support the parents and family of the 4-year-old whose life was cut short yesterday, and let’s be part of the solution. We are always better together."