WAUWATOSA — Family, friends and community gathered at a candlelight vigil Monday night to remember the 17-year-old shot and killed by a Wauwatosa Police officer.
It happened outside Mayfair Mall on Sunday night, and Wauwatosa Police say the suspect was armed.
Police have not released the name, but family identifies the person shot as 17-year-old Alvin Cole.
"I lost my baby, I lost my boy, there's nothing I can do to change that, he's gone in a better place," said Alvin's mom, Tracy Cole.
Wauwatosa Police say mall security told them about a "disturbance" involving a group of about ten people, and a witness said someone in the group had a gun. Police say an officer shot a person they believed was armed following a foot
chase outside the mall.
The suspect died at the hospital.
Monday night, several dozen members of the community gathered outside the mall to remember Alvin. They comforted each other with song and prayer.
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A mother tells TODAY’S TMJ4 her son is the teen that was shot and killed by Wauwatosa police Sunday night outside Mayfair Mall. Investigators said the 17-year-old ran away from officers and had a gun.
Tracy Cole said her son, Alvin, was about to graduate from high school this spring. Police have yet to identify the teen.
She held back tears thinking back to the moment her life changed forever.
“You need to check on Alvin, something bad happened to him,” Tracy said. "My heart just left my body when I found out it was my baby boy.”
Wauwatosa Police Chief Barry Weber said they were called to the mall around 5:40 p.m.
“Mall security at Mayfair reported to police a disturbance involving approximately 10 individuals inside the mall,” Weber said.
He said a witness saw one of those 10 people carrying a gun.
"Upon seeing officers, at least four suspects fled on foot,” Weber said. “One of them matched the description given of the suspect in possession of the gun.”
He said that a person with a gun was then shot by police, and later died at the hospital.
Alvin’s dad, Albert said witnesses told him his son was shot multiple times in his back in the parking lot outside Cheesecake Factory.
"No gun was pointed towards the police,” Albert said. "When they shot him, [the] first thing that came out of my son's mouth was his mama."
“They shot my baby again three more times,” Tracy added.
Now, instead of celebrating Alvin’s graduation from high school this spring, his family will be holding a funeral.
"He was going to college with his sister. He can't do that no more,” Tracy said. “I’m not supposed to bury my son. My son's supposed to bury me."
King Rick of the Black Panthers of Milwaukee is helping the family find out what happened.
“We are going to demand a transparent, clear and concise investigation,” he said.
Alvin’s family just hopes for answers sooner than later.
"You're not going to get away with this. I will have justice for my son,” Tracy said.
Per protocol, the officers involved in the shooting are on administrative leave and the Milwaukee Police Department is leading the investigation.
