Bloody Weekend in Milwaukee

A remarkably warm, sunny, beautiful fall weekend in Milwaukee was also remarkably violent, bloody, and deadly.

Mayor Tom Barrett can no longer cite a drop in the homicide rate as proof that he's effectively handling the problem of violence in Milwaukee.

The number of homicides this year has reached last year's level.

From the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel:

Police today are investigating the fatal shooting of a 26-year-old Milwaukee man that occurred in the 3500 block of W. Nash St. shortly before 3 this morning.

Detective Captain Michael Young said a caller reported seeing a man wearing a red sweatshirt with a gun. When police arrived, they found a green Saturn with its lights on and engine running, and the driver's side door open. A man wearing a red sweatshirt was found on his back about 30 feet away. The man did not have a pulse and was not breathing when paramedics arrived, Young said.

No gun was found, and police were interviewing the man's family because there were reports that he had been involved in a quarrel earlier.

The murder was the fifth to occur within 49 hours in Milwaukee and brings the year's total to 89, the same total for this date last year, police said.

There's more!

On Sunday afternoon, four more people were shot.

Also from the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel:

Four people were injured after two separate shootings late this afternoon on the city's north side.

According to Milwaukee police:

Just after 4 p.m., a 42-year-old woman was shot in the neck in the 5700 block of N. 62nd St. Her condition was unclear.

About 30 minutes later, three people were hit by bullets in the 4400 block of W. Wright St. According to police, a 23-year-old man was shot in the right leg, a 23-year-old woman was shot in the left leg, and a 30-year-old man was shot in the face.

...Police could not confirm additional details. But according to information broadcast on police radio channels, three suspects fled from the scene southbound on Wright St. in a dark-colored Dodge Charger.

These are Sunday afternoon shootings.

And there's more news.

Information has become available on the identities of people murdered or found dead on Friday:

Police on Sunday released the identifications of three people who were slain or found dead over the weekend in Milwaukee.

Two people found dead Friday in a recording studio in the 5500 block of W. Lisbon Ave. were identified as singer Yolanda "La-La" Brown, 21, and her producer, JeTannue Clayborne, 22.

Brown, an R&B singer who had a promising future, was featured on a recording by platinum-selling singer Lyfe Jennings and was considered his protégé.

Police were tight-lipped about the double slaying, saying only that the pair had been dead for some time before their bodies were discovered at the studio, Loud Enuff Productionz.

A woman shot to death at 2:15 a.m. Friday while driving in the 5500 block of N. Teutonia Ave. was identified as Victoria Jackson. She was 19. Jackson was alone in her van when she was shot, lost control of her vehicle and crashed into a fire hydrant and a city light pole about two blocks away.

What an absolute mess!

The city is a mess.

Alderman Willie Wade has an idea on how to address the violence.

MILWAUKEE -- A Milwaukee alderman wants to put uniformed police officers in bars and nightclubs that have had problems with violence.

The idea was brought forward after a violent weekend in Milwaukee. Five people died in four separate shootings, bringing the city's homicide total to 89 so far this year. Some of those deaths have been in or around bars and clubs.

Milwaukee Alderman Willie Wade said the establishments would foot the bill, and the officers would volunteer their time, so as to not take officers off the streets.

"The police would be there to arrest people, detain people, keep them there 'til the patrons have left make the club safer," Wade said.

Questions Nightclub is one of those bars where shots were recently fired. The owner of a day care next door to the club said that something needs to be done.

"Anything is worth trying to get some of the trouble that's going on to stop," day care center owner Ed Hill said.

One alderman said he doesn't think the plan is worth trying.

"These private operations need to hire their own security, or shut down, if they're causing that much trouble," Alderman Bob Donovan, who represents a southside district, said.

Donovan said there are too many liability issues that go along with the plan. Officers could easily be blamed if problems aren't prevented, and he said that alcohol and a loaded gun aren't a good mix.

"I fear for the safety of the officer too, quite frankly," Donovan said.

I don't think Wade's idea is a good one.

I see a number of problems with having the owners of bars and nightclubs with a history of violence pay the bill for uniformed Milwaukee police officers to patrol them.

Would certain bars be required to pay for this security by the Milwaukee Police Department?

Who would decide which bars needed the patrols?

Would the owners elect to have the guards, or would they be forced to pay for the police services? Would they be threatened with losing their liquor licenses?

Rather than demanding that owners of these places pay for city police services, the owners should pay for private security guards.

If some bars are so dangerous that they need uniformed MPD officers to maintain order, then I think they should be shut down.

I don't know why anyone would want to hang out at a bar that needs armed security on the premises, ready to start shooting in the event of violence. I would think that would create an uncomfortable atmosphere and be bad for business. I certainly wouldn't want to go there.

Although I don't think his idea makes sense, Wade should get credit for suggesting a way to address the violence.

It's a bad idea, but at least it's an idea. That's more than many other city leaders are doing.

I think it's time that leaders declare Milwaukee to be a city in crisis.

Can we say that Milwaukee has a crime crisis? Have we reached that point? Will Barrett finally admit it rather than continuing with the pathetic spin?

Five murders in two days. plus many more shootings, equals CRISIS.