Milwaukee boy killed, community vigil remembers 4-year-old
Community vigil remembers 4-year-old
Prosecutors said a Milwaukee man shot and killed his own son. On Friday, community members gathered to remember a boy who they'd never met.
MILWAUKEE - Prosecutors said a Milwaukee man shot and killed his own son. On Friday, community members gathered to remember a 4-year-old boy who they'd never met.
Community vigil
What they're saying:
Both of the boy's parents remain in custody on charges connected to his death. That's why a community member took it upon herself to honor him.
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"How do you protect the child from the very people who gave them life?" said Incemirra Pole. "He deserved a future filled with love, not violence. He deserved protection, not pain."
Incemirra Pole
"There are no words that can make sense of this, and perhaps there never will be," Pole said. "I feel like the horrific part of things was recognized, but there was no honor assigned to this little boy who only lived for four years. He knew life totally different from how we know life."
Investigators said the 4-year-old boy had autism.
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"I have two children of my own who have been diagnosed with autism," said Pole.
On Friday night, Pole invited people for a balloon release and memorial – hoping to put the focus back on the boy's life instead of the way it was taken.
"Today I am here to say that his life mattered. Every child’s life matters," she said.
Parents charged
The backstory:
Prosecutors said 35-year-old Ralph Taylor shot his son near 75th and Northridge Lakes. Police said he first lied and said someone shot into the apartment, but court filings said there was evidence in the boy's mouth that showed the gun had been placed there before it was fired.
"If these allegations are true, you are a baby killer," Court Commissioner Barry Phillips. "The only thing worse than a baby killer is a person who kills their own baby."
Milwaukee 4-year-old boy fatally shot, child's parents accused
Two people are now charged in connection with the fatal shooting of a 4-year-old boy at an apartment near 75th and Northridge Lakes, just north of Brown Deer Road in Milwaukee.
The boy's mother, 33-year-old Cassandra Taylor, is also charged in connection to his death.
Ralph Taylor is charged with first-degree intentional homicide. He's a convicted felon who prosecutors said never should have had a gun. Cassandra Taylor is accused of hiding that gun.
Both are due back in court next month.
The Source: FOX6 News attended Friday's vigil and referenced prior coverage of the shooting, including information from the Milwaukee Police Department, Milwaukee County District Attorney's Office and Wisconsin Circuit Court.