MILWAUKEE — Milwaukee leaders, organizations, and activists came together Thursday night for a last-minute meeting to address teen homicides and violence. They called it a "state of emergency."
Some of the organizations involved in the conversation were Mentor Greater Milwaukee, 414 Life, and the Medical College of Wisconsin. Police Chief Jeffrey Norman was also there, along with activists Vaun Mayes and several elected officials.
According to the Milwaukee County Medical Examiner, in the years leading up to the pandemic, there were about a dozen youth homicides each year. In 2020, the number spiked to 28. So far this year there have been 25.
"The greatest threat to your child's survival right now in this country is gun violence. And that's a uniquely American problem," said Reggie Moore, the Director of Violence Prevention Policy and Engagement at the Medical College of Wisconsin.
However, youth voices were noticeably absent from Thursday night's conversation.
The only young person at the meeting was high school senior Janiya Williams.
"I always try to come out to these meetings because I feel like it's important that people hear from the youth point of view about what's going on," Williams said.
She said she's scared, and frankly, fed up with the rise in violence she's seen among people.
"It's just very scary because I have a younger brother, I have an older brother and it's like they could be victims. I could be a victim any time I walk outside the house," Williams said about how prevalent she feels gun violence has become in our community. "Sometimes it's just straight bullets. I never know if I could be the next person that could be killed just for walking down the street."
Williams said she wants to know more about what the existing organizations are going to do to bring those homicide numbers down.
"I just wish it would be more walking with the way they're talking," she said.
One of Williams' suggestions is that these organizations and community leaders do a better job of sharing their message and connecting with young people on social media.
"Everything is attached to social media. Get it more advertised over social media so it's in their timelines," she said.
In fact, Williams doesn't think many young people even knew about the meeting and thinks it's important that they do.
Ultimately, she hopes to see more of her peers get involved and that Thursday's conversation leads to meaningful action.
