Two Milwaukee neighborhoods reeling after recent violence

MILWAUKEE -- Two Milwaukee neighborhoods are reeling after recent acts of violence. The victims -- an 11-year-old boy, and a 42-year-old man. The two recent shootings have one thing in common -- both appear to be random, with the victims simply seeking a breath of fresh air.

The man killed outside of Club Timbuktu was apparently shot during a robbery, and the 11-year-old boy was the victim of a stray bullet fired outside his home near 26th and Hadley.

FOX6 News spoke with Marquon Elliot's mother Thursday, July 5th -- three days after the boy was shot in the chest. Family members say Elliot has asthma and stepped outside for some fresh air.

Luckily, Elliot's mother says he was shot in the collarbone, and the bullet missed Elliot's spine, heart and head. He's expected to recover, and for that Elliot's mother says she's grateful.

"I got here and I saw my baby shot, bleeding everywhere. I can't do nothing but thank God and just be grateful that he's still here. It's just sad that this happened to him just by sitting on his grandmother's front porch," Elliot's mother, Shunica Martin said.

In the Riverwest neighborhood Thursday, community leaders walked through the area near Club Timbuktu, talking with neighbors about safety.

42-year-old Ibrahim Assanna was fatally shot on Saturday during a robbery after stepping outside for some air.

Riverwest neighbors led police and city leaders through the neighborhood, pointing out problems like fresh graffiti and abandoned homes.

"If it was your neighborhood, you'd want a good place to live. That's what everybody wants," neighbor Spike Bandy said.

Alderwoman Milele Coggs said increased lighting and more cameras are among potential solutions to some of Riverwest's problems.

"No doubt that Riverwest is a strong neighborhood and I am certain that it will bounce back from the recent incident," Coggs said.

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