"They care:" MPD delivers Thanksgiving goods to mother of special little boy; an innocent gunshot victim



MILWAUKEE (WITI) -- Shot when he was just two years old, a Milwaukee boy is making remarkable progress. He was an innocent victim. Bullets flew into his mother's home last spring. The little boy's family is thankful this holiday season, and the Milwaukee Police Department is one of many reasons why.

Milwaukee police officers, on the eve of Thanksgiving, delivered goods to five families in need of a Thanksgiving dinner. Keshalya Strong's family was one of the recipients.

"Us making a turkey this year -- it will be kinda fun," Strong said.

Delivering Thanksgiving dinner to these five families is part of an outreach program sponsored by MPD. It is easy to understand why the Strong family made the list.

"It was April 9th and we were just getting ready for bed.  And it sounded like something exploded," Strong said.

The sound was one of a dozen bullets entering Strong's home near 4th and Keefe.

"There he was, laying on the floor," Strong says of her now three-year-old son Randal.

Strong's home was previously owned by a known drug dealer. Police say this was a case of mistaken identity. Two-year-old Randal was an innocent victim.

The crime remains unsolved.

"We don`t forget our victims," a police officer said.

The little boy is making a remarkable recovery.

"Both of his kidneys were damaged. His stomach, spine and spleen," Strong said.

After all the worry Strong faced this year, she says it's nice to know she has everything she needs for a nice Thanksgiving dinner.

"We were excited.  A helping hand is always good in our eyes. It lets me know that they care about us," Strong said.

Looking towards Christmas, Strong says the best gift she could receive this year is justice.

If you have any information about the April shooting near 4th and Keefe, you're asked to contact Milwaukee police.