Milwaukee, WI

Community leaders, residents hold vigil to remember police officer Kendall Corder

Published

6 months ago

July 4, 2025

Community leaders, residents hold vigil to remember police officer Kendall Corder

One week after Milwaukee police officer Kendall Corder was shot and killed, about two dozen people gathered at the scene of the crime to remember the slain officer and call for an end to the violence.

Corder, 32, and his partner, 29-year-old Christopher McCray, were shot in an alley near North 24th Place and West Garfield Avenue on June 26 as they responded to a call for a subject with a gun. McCray survived, but Corder, a six-year police veteran, became the sixth Milwaukee officer killed since 2018.

Residents at the July 3 vigil expressed anger, especially for youth in the area, who deal with the social and psychological effects of violent crime, such as police shootings.

“These are all little, little babies, and they should be safe,” said Maria Beltran, a nearby Lindsay Heights neighborhood resident and community activist. “So should our police officers that serve our city — they should be safe. A lot of us do not feel that they’re on our side, but they’re human beings. They’re in the flesh, and they believe just like us, and they’re our brothers and sisters, and we need to respect each other and love one another.”

The vigil comes the same day that a Shorewood police officer was wounded after a suspect opened fire on them as they responded to a reported shooting, marking the third time an officer in the Milwaukee area has been shot within a week.

Tracey Dent, community activist and one of the vigil’s organizers, called turnout for the event “disappointing.” He encouraged the community to get more involved by attending regular community meetings held by respective police districts.

“We have to show up,” he said.

The Milwaukee County District Attorney’s Office charged 22-year-old Tremaine Jones in connection to the double Milwaukee police shooting.

Community ‘hurting,’ resilient

Corder and his partner worked at Police District Two. Virginia Pratt, a pastor, community outreach worker and former correction officer, recalled that she worked with them.

“They are my family too,” Pratt said. “They are good officers.”

Kahlil McKinstry, with the North Avenue Community Ambassadors Program, came to the vigil with his young son. He called the shooting a tragedy, and said he believes that police officers are overworked.

“We’re making cops afraid and nervous,” he said. “This is our community, and the community is hurting. I don’t want anything to happen here.”

Karin Tyler, the interim director for the city’s Office of Community Wellness and Safety, arrived at the quiet block of the shooting the day after it occurred with a cohort of around 30 volunteers and outreach workers from the office’s critical response. The group canvassed the neighborhood throughout the afternoon, handing out pamphlets and gun locks, and offering passersby different forms of clinical or “healing” support.

Tyler pointed out that the neighborhood falls into one of Milwaukee’s designated “promise zones” — areas of the city that have historically seen high levels of violence and a low investment of resources.

“Our office is always mobilizing in these areas, and we have specific groups that are basically assigned to this specific area,” Tyler said. “We know that people are pretty devastated by this, and there was a lot of fear in this area, for sure.”

In a statement, Midtown Neighborhood Alliance, a local community organization, affirmed the neighborhood’s “remarkable strength,” but noted that “lasting safety” would require addressing systemic challenges and investing in public resources.

“While these acts of violence have shaken us, they do not define Midtown or its people,” the organization wrote in the statement. “Midtown is a strong, caring, and resilient urban community where neighbors support one another and work tirelessly to build a better future.”

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Milwaukee, WI

Pregnant Milwaukee mom of 3-year-old dead after arson fire, police say

Published

4 hours ago

January 6, 2026

Press Room

Pregnant Milwaukee mom of 3-year-old dead after arson fire, police say

A 22-year-old pregnant Milwaukee woman was found dead in a house fire that was intentionally set, leaving behind a 3-year-old daughter.

The family of Gladys Johnson is heartbroken at their loss. Her death occurred 33 years almost to the day that her brothers died in a fire.

Gladys Johnson was discovered by her mother, Michelle Johnson, following a fire at their residence in the 2800 block of North 26th Street on Jan. 5.

The Milwaukee Police Department said a 21-year-old man has been arrested for arson. Police said the man intentionally brandished a firearm and then started a house on fire.

The man who was arrested is the father of Johnson’s daughter and unborn child, according to Josie Johnson-Smith, Gladys Johnson’s aunt.

Police said Gladys Johnson’s cause of death is officially undetermined and under investigation, but the Milwaukee County Medical Examiner’s Office ruled the death a homicide.

“He took my niece’s life,” Johnson-Smith said. “He threatened to kill her before. That’s why she ended up back with her mom.”

The Journal Sentinel does not typically name suspects unless they’ve been formally charged with a crime.

Gladys Johnson was five months pregnant with a baby boy, according to Johnson-Smith. “She was so happy, teaching her daughter that she was going to be a big sister,” Johnson-Smith said.

Fire-related death reopens old wounds

Gladys Johnson’s death reopens old wounds for her mother, who lost two sons in a bar fire in Milwaukee in 1992.

Milwaukee Journal reporting from the time recalls Terrance Bizzle-Johnson, 4, and Antonio Bizzle-Johnson, 2, being found dead on New Year’s Eve 1992 from smoke inhalation after a fire broke out at a family tavern on the north side of the city.

The Journal’s article details a harrowing rescue attempt by family members, including by Josie Johnson-Smith and Michelle Johnson.

Gladys Johnson was the ‘light in our family’

Gladys Johnson was named after her late grandmother.

“She was the most loving person you ever wanted to meet,” Johnson-Smith said. “Her spirit was a light. If you were in a bad mood, she would cheer you up. She was the light in our family.

“Her daughter is 3 years old and can talk, spell, and say her ABCs. She was a good mom.

“We’re just so devastated right now. He’s seemed like a nice man. So many young women have passed away with domestic situations and it’s just overwhelming.

“The only thing I’d ask the community, to the young women out there that are going through situations similar to my niece, speak out. Don’t be ashamed. You have to tell somebody.”

Gladys’ Johnson’s family started a GoFundMe fundraiser to help cover funeral expenses.

Where to find help for domestic violence

Victim advocates can help with safety planning. Calls to advocates are confidential and do not involve law enforcement.

The National Domestic Violence Hotline is 800-799-7233.
The National Sexual Assault Hotline is 800-656-4673.
End Domestic Abuse Wisconsin has a statewide directory of resources at endabusewi.org/get-help.
Wisconsin Coalition Against Sexual Assault has a statewide directory of resources at wcasa.org/survivors/service-providers.
The Sojourner Family Peace Center in Milwaukee operates a 24-hour confidential hotline at 414-933-2722.
The Milwaukee Women’s Center offers a 24-hour crisis line at 414-671-6140.
We Are Here Milwaukee provides information on culturally specific organizations at weareheremke.org.
Kids Matter Inc. provides free legal services and specialized assistance to individuals caring for children impacted by domestic violence and homicide. Kids Matter can be reached at 414-344-1220 and offers free online resources at kidsmatterinc.org.

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Milwaukee, WI

Don Richards, the former Milwaukee District 9 alderman, dies at 89

Published

16 hours ago

January 6, 2026

Press Room

Don Richards, the former Milwaukee District 9 alderman, dies at 89

Former Milwaukee Common Council member Don Richards died on Dec. 26 at age 89.

Richards served on the Milwaukee Common Council between 1988 and 2004, representing District 9 on the city’s north and northwest sides until his retirement due to health reasons, according to his obituary.

During his tenure at the city, Richards was a member of the Judiciary and Legislation Committee, Zoning, Neighborhoods and Development Committee, as well as the Housing Authority and City Records Committee.

Although the two had a brief overlap in city government, former Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett, who was first elected in 2004, recalled Richards as “always smiling and always caring.”

“He was a wonderful man. A very Christian man who cared deeply about the community and the people who live here,” Barrett told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.

Before becoming a city alderman, Richards participated in the citywide marches protesting a lack of open housing legislation in the city in the 1960s and was a priest in the Milwaukee Archdiocese for almost two decades, starting in 1963. He earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the St. Francis Seminary and Catholic University in Washington, D.C.

Following his time on the Common Council, Richards began to teach local government classes at Alverno College. He also worked as an economic development specialist with the Northwest Side Community Development Corporation, his obituary said.

Richards is survived by his brother, Bob (Joanne), and was preceded in death by his wife, Doloros; his parents, Gregor and Rose Richards; and his brothers, Jim Richards and Ed Richards, according to his obit.

A visitation is planned at 10 a.m. Jan 8 until his funeral Mass at 11 a.m. at Alvina of Milwaukee Chapel, 9301 N. 76th Street.

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Milwaukee, WI

Teen passenger dies in fiery crash after fleeing driver crashes into Milwaukee roundabout

Published

1 day ago

January 5, 2026

Press Room

Teen passenger dies in fiery crash after fleeing driver crashes into Milwaukee roundabout

MILWAUKEE — A police chase that began in West Milwaukee on Sunday morning ended in a fiery crash on Milwaukee’s south side, killing 18-year-old Izack Zavala.

The Medical Examiner’s Office identified Zavala as the passenger who died in the one-car crash at 37th and Mitchell streets. His family said he was a 2025 Milwaukee Public Schools Alexander Hamilton High School graduate who loved soccer and would do anything to help his loved ones.

Provided by family

Izack Zavala

The West Milwaukee Police Department said officers attempted to pull over the driver for a traffic violation near Miller Park Way and Lincoln Avenue, but the driver fled and crossed into Milwaukee.

Roundabout at 37th and Mitchell.png — Roundabout at 37th and Mitchell

About a mile later, police say the fleeing driver hit a roundabout, lost control, and crashed into a tree, ejecting both the driver and passenger.

“If they were trying to avoid one of those, and with the weather being cold and slick, and you hit a patch of ice, and you’re gone. You’re done,” Barbie, who witnessed the aftermath, said.

The loud crash woke up neighbors like Barbie in the middle of the night.

Watch: Teen passenger dies in fiery crash after fleeing driver crashes into Milwaukee roundabout

Teen passenger dies in fiery crash after fleeing driver crashes into Milwaukee roundabout

“Like thunder struck the building. The entire building shook. It was insane,” Barbie said.

Looking out her kitchen window, Barbie saw the devastating scene unfold.

“The whole thing just lit up like a torch,” she said.

Car on fire.png — Car on fire after crash

A day after the flames were extinguished, crash debris still surrounded the tree and Barbie’s backyard.

“The car was right there in the center,” she said.

Zavala’s family said his cousin was driving the vehicle. The 19-year-old driver was taken to the hospital with serious injuries.

Barbie, who has witnessed crashes before, said seeing this one up close was different.

“I’ve seen plenty of crashes, had people that I care about die in crashes, but to see it up close is something different. I feel bad for the kid’s family,” she said.

The witness hopes the tragedy serves as a warning to others who might consider fleeing police.

“I feel for their family, and I wish to God that that wouldn’t have happened, obviously, but there comes a point, ‘what were you doing’, you know?” Barbie said. “I just think that people need to think before they do, and that’s just not a thing anymore.”

TMJ4 asked the West Milwaukee Police Department if it plans to refer charges for the 19-year-old driver who remains seriously injured at the hospital. The department declined to comment, saying it’s still an active investigation.

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