Milwaukee City Hall, Zeidler Building lockdown communication issues

Milwaukee lockdown communication issues

Milwaukee City Hall and the Zeidler building were placed on lockdown. Some workers said they didn't even know they were supposed to shelter in place.

MILWAUKEE - Milwaukee City Hall and the Zeidler Municipal Building were placed on lockdown Thursday, but some workers said they didn't even know they were supposed to shelter in place.

The backstory:

Milwaukee police rushed to the Zeidler Municipal Building on Thursday. Police searched the building after several people heard what they thought were gunshots. It turned out it was a false alarm.

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Milwaukee police said there was no sign of gunshots, and the department is still investigating what happened.

In 1992, it wasn't a false alarm. A plaque now remembers Camille Bailey, a city worker who was shot and killed inside the building.

Lockdown at Milwaukee City Hall, Zeidler Municipal Building

Communication issues

What they're saying:

Emergency alerts, alarms and announcements are there to keep you safe when there's a real emergency, but there was a communication issue on Thursday.

City workers in the Zeidler building told FOX6 News they didn't hear public announcements to shelter in place and instead found out by word of mouth.

Lockdown at Milwaukee City Hall, Zeidler Municipal Building

"I think some of my staff was freaking out a little bit," said Brad Houston, who works in the basement of the Zeidler building.

Across the street at city hall, Ald. Robert Bauman said the emergency alerts didn't come for roughly 20 minutes. City workers also didn't get emergency text messages. While they are able to get them, the city didn't send them.

Should there be metal detectors?

What's next:

The scare was powerful enough to spark calls for change. There are three public entrances for Milwaukee City Hall and an underground path through the Zeidler building. None have metal detectors to get inside. 

"One hundred percent there should be metal detectors," said Ald. Lamont Westmoreland. "I want to talk about securing this building, because it's not secure. And maybe I'm on the island by myself. And frankly, I don't care if I'm on the island by myself in regards to this."

Lockdown at Milwaukee City Hall, Zeidler Municipal Building

FOX6 News asked Common Council President José Pérez if it is time for metal detectors inside city hall. He said: "I wouldn’t say that yet." Bauman also said no to the idea.

"I relish the open environment we have at city hall," he said. "When I go to other buildings, like the county courthouse, and I understand they are a different kind of situation, with the criminal courts, but I find that whole setup extremely intimidating, and I avoid that building like the plague."

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Mayor Cavalier Johnson wasn’t ready to commit one way or the other.

"It's an opportunity for us to listen, to learn, and leave the door open for what possibly could happen in the future," he said. "We had metal detectors during the RNC, so we're sensitive to what the changes need to be here, if any at all."