Six youths were injured when gunfire broke out in Milwaukee Monday afternoon after the June festivities ended, officials said.
Milwaukee Police Chief Jeffrey Norman said the victims, four females and two men, ranged in age from 14 to 19. None of the injuries were considered life-threatening.
One of the victims, a 17-year-old boy, is believed to have fired shots during the incident on Martin Luther King Drive in the city. He was arrested. Norman said they are looking for additional suspects.
Norman said the shooting may have occurred after an argument between “several young women”. He did not clarify the nature of the dispute, which he referred to as a “small argument”.
“It wasn’t worth it,” Norman said. “I know there was no need for males to get involved with firearms. So no matter what was going on with that little argument, gun violence is not the way to solve it.”
“You can’t draw a gun and try to end someone’s life over something as simple and meaningless as a petty disagreement,” said Mayor Cavalier Johnson.
Johnson called the shooting unacceptable.
“You have no right to steal the joy this community is feeling today,” said the mayor. “You have no right to put children at risk in this community.”
Johnson stressed that the June festivities were safe.
“I mean look, someone pulled out a gun and caused trouble today after the festivities were over,” Johnson said. “Other than that, we’ve had thousands and thousands and thousands of people here celebrating, pulling themselves together and having a sense of community. That’s a powerful thing, that’s the real story about what this day is all about.”
