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Gun violence down across state, including Milwaukee, report says | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service

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Gun violence down across state, including Milwaukee, report says | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service



Friends and family of Nelson Manuel Lopez Correa, a 15-year-old boy who was shot and killed on the South Side on Oct. 28, created a memorial in his honor. An Americans for Progress report found that shootings are down nearly 20% this year in Milwaukee. (Photo by Edgar Mendez)

Gun violence homicides dropped by nearly 17% in Wisconsin over the first eight months of 2024 compared to the same time period in 2023, according to a report by the Center for American Progress, a nonpartisan policy institute.

The report, released in September, also found that gun violence victimizations, defined as all firearm-related injuries and deaths, dropped in Milwaukee nearly 20% over that same time period.

“I think this decrease is happening for a number of reasons, but one is due to community violence intervention measures that are working,” said Nicholas Matuszewski, executive director of Wisconsin Anti-Violence Effort, a statewide grassroots organization.

Local violence intervention efforts include 414 Life, a violence interruption program; and Project Ujima, which provides services to families and children who’ve been impacted by violence.

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In addition, Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley announced in late October the launch of the national gun violence program, “Advance Peace.”

“Advance Peace is an investment in solutions to decreasing gun violence that will help ensure Milwaukee County is a safe and healthy community where families and children can thrive,” Crowley said in a news release announcing the program.

‘Numbers are dropping’

Matuszewski said Milwaukee and the state are national leaders in community violence intervention efforts, citing the work of the City of Milwaukee Office of Community Wellness and Safety and also programs supported statewide through Wisconsin Community Safety Fund grants.

The Wisconsin Community Safety Fund grants provided 10 organizations, including the Alma Center in Milwaukee, with $10.4 million in funding to reduce violence stemming from the COVID-19 pandemic.

“After the pandemic, we had a huge increase in gun ownership and gun purchases which naturally led to more gun violence,” Matuszewski said. “Those numbers are dropping now.”

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While many cities cited in the report have seen gun violence return or drop to pre-pandemic levels, Milwaukee is still on pace to experience more shootings this year than in 2019, the year before the pandemic.

According to data from the Milwaukee Homicide Review Commission dashboard, there were 442 nonfatal shootings in 2019. Those numbers rose to more than 750 each year from 2020 to 2023. So far this year, the city has experienced 471 shootings, according to information on the dashboard. 

‘Too many shootings’

Travis Hope, a community activist who conducts street outreach on the South Side, said gun violence still occurs at an alarming rate in the city.

“Too many shootings are still happening and impacting families, communities, and especially young people,” Hope said.

According to data from the Milwaukee Police Department, there have been 119 homicides in the city so far this year, compared to 153 during the same time period in 2023 and 192 in 2022.

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The number of nonfatal shootings in Milwaukee also is down significantly, with 471 so far this year, compared to 769 at this time in 2023 and 788 in 2022.

Officials address drop in gun violence in Milwaukee

During a news conference discussing the reduction in shootings, among other crimes in the city, Mayor Cavalier Johnson cited the work of the Milwaukee Police Department as one reason for the drop in shootings and other crime this year.

“The work that they do is a big factor, a huge factor, in making Milwaukee safer,” he said.

Johnson said that in addition to law enforcement, intervention efforts have also been key in reducing crime.

“When we prevent a crime through intervention, that makes each and every one of us safer,” he said.

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Ashanti Hamilton, director of the Office of Community Safety and Wellness, said that while the decrease in homicides and nonfatal shootings is promising, more work needs to be done.

“Reducing violence is an ongoing process,” he said. “Sustainable change requires addressing the root causes of crime, and this means looking beyond the immediate crime reduction strategies and focusing on broader social, economic and systemic changes that contribute to violence.”


In case you missed it: Help wanted: Can the Milwaukee Police Department fix its hiring problem?





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Milwaukee, WI

Critically missing Milwaukee man; last seen near Teutonia and Good Hope

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Critically missing Milwaukee man; last seen near Teutonia and Good Hope


The Milwaukee Police Department is seeking the public’s assistance in locating a critically missing man, 33-year-old Nicolas Blakely.  

Missing man

What we know:

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Blakely was last seen around 9:45 p.m. on Monday, March 9 in the area of Teutonia and Good Hope. 

Blakely is described as a male, black, 6’1″ tall, 160 pounds, with black hair and brown eyes.  He was last seen wearing a blue puffy jacket over a white hooded sweatshirt, with tan Nike sweatpants. 

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Police tips

What you can do:

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Anyone with information is asked to call the Milwaukee Police Department District 4 at 414-935-7242.  

The Source: The information in this post was provided by the Milwaukee Police Department. 

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Milwaukee, WI

10 months after fatal hit-and-run that killed motorcyclist, Milwaukee man charged

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10 months after fatal hit-and-run that killed motorcyclist, Milwaukee man charged


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A 23-year-old Milwaukee man has been charged in a hit-and-run crash that killed a 44-year-old motorcyclist during the summer last year.

Jarvis L. Walker was charged March 7 with four counts: hit-and-run resulting in death, knowingly operating a vehicle without a valid license causing death, fleeing an officer and first-degree recklessly endangering safety.

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The crash occurred June 7, 2025, at the intersection of North 76th Street and West Florist Avenue. Walker crashed into Wyman Kemble on his 2002 Harley-Davidson motorcycle and fled the scene, according to a criminal complaint.

Kemble suffered severe injuries in the crash and died at the scene.

Police said nearby security footage video shows Kemble was traveling northbound on 76th Street and had a green light when Walker, traveling southbound on 76th Street, crashed a rental car into Kemble while trying to make a left turn onto Florist Avenue.

Walker then exits the vehicle, grabs a backpack from the backseat and leaves the scene, the complaint said.

But a witness’ cellphone footage shows Walker return, yell something, and turn around and walk away before getting into another vehicle that just pulled over, according to the complaint.

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The rental car came back to a person only identified in the complaint with the initials EW. The rental car customer told police that Walker had the vehicle during the time of the crash and Walker called him and told him that he had just been in a crash after a motorcycle ran a red light.

Ten months would pass before investigators zeroed in on Walker to arrest him.

On March 3, police had reason to believe that Walker was in the area of the 7200 block of West Marine Drive, the complaint said. Two undercover officers observed Walker get into an SUV, which exited a nearby parking lot and then immediately pulled over because the trunk was open, the complaint said.

Different officers in full uniform and an MPD squad moved in to try and arrest Walker, who was at the rear of the vehicle in the trunk, according to the complaint.

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Walker then made his way back to his seat before one officer activated the squad lights and siren and exited the squad to say “Hey Jarvis, don’t do it” and “Jarvis get out of the car,” the complaint said.

But Walker fled the scene and led police on a nearly 10-mile pursuit in excess of 115 miles per hour, according to the complaint.

Police lost visual sight of Walker’s vehicle near North Teutonia Avenue and North Green Bay Avenue, but Glendale police observed the vehicle traveling southbound on West Green Bay Road and another short pursuit ensued before officers lost sight of Walker again, the complaint said.

Later that evening, Walker’s vehicle was observed unoccupied and running in the 4800 block of North 19th Place, according to the complaint. Police found Walker inside a nearby residence and arrested him.

Walker made his initial appearance in court on March 9, where bail was set at $25,000. If convicted on all counts, he faces decades behind bars.

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Wyman Kemble remembered as mother’s rock

Leanne Kemble, Wyman Kemble’s mother, previously told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel at the time of the crash that Wyman was her oldest child and her “rock.”

She said her son loved the motorcycle he was riding at the time of his death. She described him as one of the most “kind, caring and fun-loving people you’d ever meet.”

Leanne Kemble said her son graduated from Riverside High School, where he played on the football team, and was a graduate of Milwaukee Area Technical College. Volleyball was now his sport of choice, and he played year-round, she said.

“He was always helping people with their car repairs, or just doing odd jobs to help out our neighbors,” she said. “He was an all-around great person. Everybody loved him.”



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Milwaukee Public Schools budget proposals; board meeting Monday

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Milwaukee Public Schools budget proposals; board meeting Monday


MPS Superintendent Brenda Cassellius proposed cutting more than 263 non-classroom positions to help bridge a $46 million structural budget deficit.

A special meeting of the Milwaukee Board of School Directors is scheduled to take place on Monday night, March 9, to vote on this proposal. 

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Shifting resources

What we know:

The district said the reductions, which would take effect for the 2026–27 school year pending school board approval, would save about $30 million.

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“It is an extremely difficult day for us here in Milwaukee Public Schools, but in the end, I’m still hopeful. I’m hopeful for our students, I’m hopeful for all of the employees we have, and every single employee matters to us,” said Cassellius. “This is hard, and we’ll get through it.”

Officials said no classroom teacher positions are being cut to close the budget gap. That said, the district may need fewer teachers where there is lower enrollment. About 40 of the 263 positions being eliminated are already vacant, meaning that not all reductions will result in layoffs. Affected employees eligible for classroom-based roles will be encouraged to apply for available positions.

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Cassellius stressed that MPS faces rising costs while receiving a $0 state increase in general aid for 2026-27 public school students. While the recent referendum has helped to support arts, physical education, mental health services, and career exploration, the superintendent indicated it does not make up for the lack of state-funded inflation increase

Proposed reductions

By the numbers:

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The approximately 263 position reductions include the following, according to the school district:

  • MPS Central Services: About 116 positions from the offices of Academics; Communications; Family, Community, and Partnership; Finance; Human Resources; Operations; Schools office; and the Superintendent’s office
  • Non‑classroom school‑based roles: About 147 positions, including assistant principals, deans of students, and implementers.

The Source: Milwaukee Public Schools released information about its proposal.

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