MILWAUKEE — Nine people were shot and injured in a mass shooting near 14th and Burnham Saturday night, according to Milwaukee police.
On Sept. 5, 2023, Milwaukee police and the FBI issued a statement asking the public to come forth with information. According to their statement, "The Milwaukee Police Department and FBI are requesting the public's assistance in obtaining any electronic media that may assist in the investigation of events leading up to, during, and after a shooting that occurred near the intersection of S 14th Street and W Burnham Street at approximately 11:43 p.m., on Saturday, August 19, 2023."
To help us investigate this shooting, the Milwaukee Police Department and FBI are accepting digital media depicting the shooting near the intersection of S 14th Street and W Burnham Street.
According to a statement from Milwaukee police, the victims include 6 males and 3 females. Their ages range from 16 to 42 years old. All of them are expected to survive, MPD said.
On Sunday, police said a 22-year-old Milwaukee man was taken into custody regarding the shooting and that a firearm was recovered.
Victor Huyke said he saw the news and aftermath on Facebook just hours after encouraging the hundreds planning to party in the area Saturday night to be considerate and responsible, at the request of the area's business owners.
"It basically started out as a carryover from the Puerto Rican festival," he said. "Every year it got worse and worse and worse. The garbage. The loud music. The burning of the rubber on the street."
The Milwaukee County Sheriff's Office has not connected the shooting with the Puerto Rican festival.
Huyke said he helped organize Puerto Rican Festival in previous years so he is familiar with the event and the community.
Police haven't shared any connections between the shooting and the festival but Huyke said what was meant to be a celebration of culture, history and tradition took a turn for the worst.
"Now it just got tainted," Huyke said. "It was heartbreaking to me."
Police onsite Sunday however, did confirm that they were increasing their presence and closing roads and parking lots in the area to avoid a repeat of Saturday night.
They're hoping by stopping large groups from gathering there, they can keep festivities limited to the official Puerto Rican Festival happening at Veterans Park Sunday and ending at a reasonable time.
Organizers at the festival tell TMJ4 News the event was safe and full of celebration by the lakefront Sunday, and that the shooting shouldn't be connected to the official event, which happened miles away.
On Sunday Huyke also appealed to his community for a second time as he joined community leaders and violence prevention specialists in prayer at the intersection.
He hopes with the help of people like Pastor Marty Calderon together their calls for peace carry more weight.
According to Calderon he and several others with the City of Milwaukee's Office of Violence Prevention plan walk through the neighborhood trying to connect with people.
“I think it is easier for people to open up to a regular citizen compared to people who are in law enforcement because there may be some sort of fear, some sort of retaliation," Calerdon explained.
The Milwaukee Police Department is investigating a non-fatal shooting that occurred on 08/19/23 at about 11:43pm in the 1400 block of W. Burnham. There were 6 male and 3 female victims in this incident. The ages of the victims range from 16-42 years of age. All are expected to survive. The investigation is ongoing. Police continue to search for unknown suspects. Anyone with any information is asked to contact Milwaukee Police at (414) 935-7360, or to remain anonymous, contact Crime Stoppers at (414)224-Tips/ or P3 Tips.
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