Victim's friends say shooting near 20th and Mitchell was over a bike
Two shot, one killed near 20th and Mitchell Sunday night
Two shot, one killed near 20th and Mitchell Sunday night
MILWAUKEE (WITI) -- A 19-year-old Milwaukee man is dead and his friend is wounded after a shooting Sunday night, September 8th on the city's south side. The victim's friends say it was all over a bicycle.
Police say the victim was found dead in the driver's seat of a car. One neighbor says he came outside and saw the car slammed into the back of a parked car near 20th and Mitchell. When he got closer, he saw the lifeless young man inside.
The victim's car was gone on Monday, but shattered glass littered the scene.
"It’s frustrating. It’s disappointing. Some of us have been saying for years that this neighborhood needs a more consistent police presence in an effort to maintain order," Milwaukee Alderman Bob Donovan, who lives in the area, told FOX6 News on Monday.
Donovan on Monday renewed his call for more police officers to patrol his south side district.
"The police simply can’t keep up anymore with all the problems. That’s the reality," Alderman Donovan said.
On Monday afternoon, grieving relatives were at the scene. They declined an interview with FOX6 News, but two men who say they're friends of the victim say the young man's bicycle had been stolen.
Those friends tell FOX6 News that on Sunday night, around 7:00, the victim saw someone riding what appeared to be his bike. When he confronted the suspect, the man opened fire, killing the teen and wounding his 17-year-old passenger.
Leroy Pinkston says he heard the subsequent car crash while out in the yard.
"My grandkids, my grandson’s birthday party, and we hear a crash but we thought it was just a regular car crash, kids speeding around the neighborhood. We never expect no shooting because this is a real nice neighborhood," Pinkston said.
While he is saddened by the shooting, Pinkston insists the area is safe, while Donovan says it should be safer.
"We may see an increase in police presence for a week or so, then they’re pulled off to go to another neighborhood that’s on fire with crime problems," Alderman Donovan said.
Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett's office on Monday released the following statement:
“It’ is beyond comprehension why Bob has not taken the time to meet with Chief Flynn or attend an MPD Command Staff briefing. That Bob would summarily dismiss such opportunities is key to understanding why he is longer Chairman of the Common Council’s Public Safety Committee.”
Milwaukee police have not confirmed whether the suspect was indeed on a bicycle.
The 17-year-old who was injured was treated and released.
No one has been taken into custody.