Child dies from gunshot wound on Milwaukee's northwest side; two people being held

A Milwaukee child is dead and two people were in custody Saturday after an early-morning shooting on the city's northwest side.

Family members have identified the child as 5-year-old Jamal Anderson Jr.

"He was a loving, funny, full of life kid," Giovonni Kelly, who identified himself as the child's stepfather, said on social media.

He said the child, who was born with Down syndrome, "was able to do whatever he put his heart into doing."

His mother, Quita Harbour, posted that a part of her is gone.

"He was full of life, joy & happiness! ... My heart is heavy Jamal Jr. I love you to the moon and back!"

Milwaukee police did not release details about the shooting. They listed the child's age as 4.

According to police, officers responded to a report of a shooting at an apartment complex in the 5300 block of North Lovers Lane Road around 1:15 a.m., where they found the child suffering from a serious gunshot wound.

Officers started CPR, and members of the Wauwatosa Fire Department, who also were called to the scene, attempted advanced life-saving measures. But the child died, police said in a news release.

Police said two people were taken into custody Saturday, but they provided no information about the individuals or their relationship to the child.

Milwaukee police are asking anyone with information about the shooting to call the department at (414) 935-7360 or contact Milwaukee Crime Stoppers at (414) 224-8477.

Milwaukee Ald. Bob Donovan, who represents the south side District 8, called for residents across Milwaukee to unite to end the gun violence that has plagued the city. He joined faith leaders from across the city at a news conference Saturday afternoon after deciding the status quo could not continue.

"Maybe today, enough is finally enough," he said.

Saying police and government officials cannot do it alone, Donovan called on all segments of the community — residents, churches, businesses and nonprofits — to work together to address the issue of gun violence.

"There's no limit to what you can accomplish if everyone's pulling in the same direction," he said. "If we can unite and (be) all gung-ho for the DNC, we ought to be able to do something for our violence, too."

The key is sharing faith with residents, said Marty Calderon, who heads God Touch Milwaukee, a faith-based organization that aims to help men who are coming off the streets or out of the prison system.

"There is hope out here, and the hope is through Jesus Christ," he said.

Calderon also called on people to "get out of the four walls of the churches" and help those who need it.

Reggie Moore, director of the Milwaukee Health Department Office of Violence Prevention, told the Journal Sentinel that the city does have a plan to combat violence. The Blueprint for Peace initiative, he said, is focused on public health. It's a matter of implementing it, though.

"The question comes down to ensuring that we have the resources and the political and public will to act," he said.

Moore called on the state Legislature and Gov. Tony Evers to discuss investment in programs like 414 LIFE, which deploys "violence interrupters" around the city.

Milwaukee must get to a point where violence, especially against children, is unacceptable, Moore said.

"This has to be a movement that everybody embodies," he said. "This senseless act of violence has no place in our community, in our homes or in our cities."

Child shooting deaths in Milwaukee

The boy's death is the latest in which shootings have claimed the life of a child in Milwaukee.

Ten-year-old Sierra Guyton died July 13, 2014, almost two months after being shot in the head while playing on the playground at Clarke Street Elementary School, 2816 W. Clarke St. She was caught in the crossfire between two gunmen who exchanged 16 shots with 50 children nearby.

Five-year-old Laylah Petersen was sitting on her grandfather's lap in his house near North 58th Street and West Fairmount Avenue on Nov. 6, 2014, when bullets fired outside the house struck her.

Bill Thao, 13 months, was playing on the floor of a relative's home near North 73rd Street and West Mill Road on Dec. 27, 2014, when a barrage of 41 bullets fired by three gunmen in the street hit the building.

Nine-year-old Za'Layia Jenkins died May 11, 2016, 11 days after she was shot inside a relative's home in the 1500 block of West Meinecke Ave. Three men fired the shots after other residents chastised them about drug dealing on their block.

Fifteen-year-old Melanie Johnson was struck inside her home near North 35th Street and West Silver Spring Drive after gunfire erupted outside the house Dec. 12, 2016.

Six-year-old Justin Evans Jr. was shot July 22, 2017, in his grandmother's yard in the 3600 block of North 23rd Street. He was the youngest victim to die by gunfire that year.

Thirteen-year-old Sandra Parks was hit by a bullet shot outside her house that struck her in her bedroom Nov. 19. 2018.

Three-year-old Brooklyn Harris shot and killed inside a car during a road rage incident July 13, 2019, near North 42nd Street and West Concordia Avenue.

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MILWAUKEE HOMICIDES: The Journal Sentinel is tracking homicides to memorialize victims and better understand deadly violence.