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Milwaukee mother survives near-fatal attack
A dispute between Milwaukee neighbors escalates into a brutal, near-fatal stabbing -- leaving a mother fighting for her life while her young children watched in horror.
MILWAUKEE - A dispute between Milwaukee neighbors escalates into a brutal, near-fatal stabbing, leaving a mother fighting for her life while her young children watch in horror.
Dispute escalates to violence
What we know:
What started as a simple trip to the store turned into a nightmare on North Long Island Drive. Court records show on August 19, a fight broke out after Kiera Hennings said she accidentally locked the front door of her shared duplex. That is when she said her downstairs neighbor, Tawanna Gant, approached her upset.
"She attacked me…I think she grabbed me by my wig….and I was forced to defend myself," said Hennings.
Kiera Hennings with FOX6's Bria Jones
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Police said the situation quickly escalated when multiple people joined in. Hennings was beaten and stabbed twice.
"My liver was bleeding, and then I had a collapsed lung.... so I had two major surgeries…" said Hennings.
Hennings said her brother had to wrestle one of the people jumping her after he saw a gun.
Kiera Hennings
"He was no match to the gun, so once he realized I got stabbed…he carried me into the house, and they kicked the door in off the hinges," said Hennings.
"I asked my 9-year-old son to get a sheet to preserve me, so thank god the paramedics came within 10 minutes," said Hennings.
She said she had previously reported her neighbors as a nuisance a month prior, which led to a physical altercation. While in the house waiting for first responders, Hennings said those same neighbors were caught on Ring camera vandalizing her car.
51-year-old Tawanna Gant is now charged with first-degree reckless injury. Prosecutors said she denied the stabbing and placed the blame on her 15-year-old son. He told detectives Hennings stabbed herself, but later changed his story.
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"I’m living in constant fear every day that I’m here. I live in fear because I don’t want no one to know that I’m here…that I’m back at home," said Hennings.
Hennings said more than one person stabbed her. The Milwaukee Police Department said they are still looking for known suspects.
Police are looking for other suspects
She also said Berrada Properties told her the locks could not be changed and that she has not lived in the unit long enough to transfer. FOX6 News reached out to Berrada Properties but has not heard back.
Portions of this article were formatted using A.I. FOX6’s Bria Jones and an editor reviewed it for accuracy and tone prior to publishing.
The Source: Information in this story was gathered from Kiera Hennings, court records, prosecutors, detectives, Milwaukee Police Department and Berrada Properties.