A cross, a fishing pole, flowers and other items remain at a memorial for Isaac Rodriguez, 15, and his best friend Diego Herrera-Mejia, 16, who were killed on Milwaukee’s South Side in June. (Edgar Mendez / Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service)
By Edgar Mendez
Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Sebastian Florentino, 14, was shot and killed on Jan. 21, 2023.
Alijah S. Golden-Richmond, also 14, was shot and killed this year on Aug. 14.
The boys were the first and last of 40 homicide victims in Milwaukee County 17 years of age or younger since Jan. 1, 2023, according to data provided by Karen Domagalski, operations manager for the Milwaukee County Medical Examiner’s Office.
Minors represent 13% of all homicide victims in Milwaukee County since 2023.
(Milwaukee County homicide data differs from city of Milwaukee homicide data. County data includes cases from Milwaukee suburbs such as West Allis and Cudahy and also homicides determined to be justified by the District Attorney’s Office, according to Domagalski.)
“It is a sad statistic to hear how many murders there are of the young people in our city, but it also isn’t surprising to me since Milwaukee doesn’t care about our youth,” said Kevin Sas-Perez, who has worked as a youth pastor and with youths through various organizations over the past 15 years.
“I believe the number one thing youth are looking for is to be loved and to belong, but we’re not doing a good job of meeting that or any other needs for our youth.”
Lennia Fields, a mother who lived and worked in Milwaukee but currently resides in Las Vegas, also believes youths need more support to prevent them from becoming victims of violence.
“Our youth need more positive role models and programs that can shield and protect them from their environment and themselves,” said Fields, who lost her mother to homicide in 2000. “Therapy for their traumas should be provided at the school or neighborhood centers.”
Keeping guns out of the hands of youths
Of the 40 youth homicide victims since 2023, all but three died from gun violence. Many were shot and killed by other teens.
Anneliese Dickman is a senior manager for Brady, an organization that advocates against and provides solutions to gun violence. She said the guns should never have gotten into a minor’s hands.
“Somewhere along the line there are adults who, mistakenly or purposely, allowed access to a gun, and that is 100% preventable,” Dickman said. “That’s where adults have failed.”
National trends in youth homicides
According to a 2023 study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, homicide is the leading cause of death of children in the U.S.
The study, which examined national data on child homicides from 1999 to 2020, found that the age-adjusted homicide rate for children from 0 to 17 years old was 2.8 per 100,000 children in 2020 and that males were disproportionately impacted.
In Milwaukee County, the population was estimated at around 916,000, with between 19.5% and 26% being under the age of 18, according to the U.S. Census Bureau Data.
That would place Milwaukee County’s age-adjusted homicide rate for 2023 at between 10.8 and 14.6 victims per 100,000 children, much higher than the national average; 85% of youth homicide victims in Milwaukee County were males.
What can the community do?
Tracey Anderson, a Milwaukee father of seven, said the community should focus on the parents of the teens who are committing violent crimes.
“The community needs more accountability from the parents who made these wayward juveniles,” Anderson said.
Unfortunately, he said, too many parents lack the skills to raise children or even live responsibly themselves.
“Some parents are even worse than their kids, so obviously we know what direction they’re headed,” Anderson said.
Milwaukee Police Chief Jeffrey Norman recently issued a “call to action” to parents and others to become more involved in helping reduce youth violence.
“We need you at the table. Our youth need you at the table. Be a part of the solution,” he said. “What are you doing to help?”
Parents responded with ideas of their own.
“We can do all we want, but there has to be consequences that mean something,” said South Side mother Jamie Berta Gilane.
Investing in our youths
Sas-Perez, who has been involved with the Boys and Girls Clubs of Greater Milwaukee, Milwaukee Recreation and other local programs that serve youths, said that for things to change in Milwaukee, there has to be much more investment in young people, both personally and financially.
“Spend more time talking to and listening to our youth, and when they are telling us what they want and need, we should take it seriously and then put our money into creatively meeting the wants and needs,” Sas-Perez said.
“Having more robust youth programming, increased investment in our schools and better pay for those working with youth is the start of helping decrease the number of youth murdered.”
News414 is a service journalism collaboration between Wisconsin Watch and Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service that addresses the specific issues, interests, perspectives and information needs identified by residents of central city Milwaukee neighborhoods.
Wisconsin Watch originally published this story at wisconsinwatch.org.