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Mayor calls for end to violence at annual event

Posted at 5:26 PM, May 15, 2016
and last updated 2016-05-16 08:45:11-04

MILWAUKEE -- Mayor Tom Barrett told a crowd of stunned worshippers this past weekend that the most violent day of the week in Milwaukee is Sunday.

This was at the mayor's 12th Ceasefire Sabbath.

Barrett spoke at three churches, including Calvary Baptist Church, which sits in the heart of the deadliest zip code in Milwaukee.

He made a passionate call for action, because too many innocent lives have fallen victim.

The mayor also made a statement about how he feels when he receives texts from police about shootings.

"I don't want to hurt your feelings when I tell you this, but I have to be honest. When I get that text message, what's going through my mind is, 'This is going to be a young African American male.' That's what's going through my mind, and I'm also sorry to tell you that I'm almost always right,"  Barrett said.

The mayor also shared one of his goals to worshippers. It is to help at least 1,000 teens find work this summer.