MILWAUKEE — A 7-year-old was shot in Milwaukee early Saturday morning, prompting a call from neighbors for more efforts to keep firearms in a safe place.
The Milwaukee Police Department said the shooting happened around 1:15 a.m. in the 2200 block of North 41st Street.
The 7-year-old suffered gunshot injuries and was taken to a local hospital for treatment.
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Police say a 16-year-old is in custody in connection with the shooting. They did not say what led to the shooting.
The Milwaukee Police Department is now reminding the public to keep firearms out of children's hands and properly store and secure them.
"How does a 7-year-old get shot?" neighbor Tony Hopson asked. "I don't know what the circumstances were, but it doesn’t make a difference."
The shooting happened in the Washington Park neighborhood on Halloween, when neighbors said they expected to see more children outside trick-or-treating.
"I would love to see kids out here trick-or-treating, but you don't see any of that," neighbor Tarrance Collins said.
The incident comes less than a week after a 4-year-old, Jurnee, was shot and killed in a separate incident near 53rd and Center.
Police said a 6-year-old in that case obtained a firearm inside a home and shot Jurnee. Her family told TMJ4 News the children were playing "cops and robbers" when they got ahold of the gun.
The family also said they believed the firearm had been stored securely and were unsure how the children accessed it.
A 16-year-old sibling was taken into custody in connection with that case.
"It hurts my heart," Collins said. "Teenagers and adults have been letting guns get into the wrong hands and a lot of kids have been hurt."
Hopson said the shootings affect more than just the families involved.
"It does impact the neighborhood, believe it or not. Our neighborhoods, our community is close-knit," Hopson said.
He said he believes preventing similar incidents requires more community resources, including gun safety education.
"Instead of more policing, I think we need more solutions, more resources for the people," Hopson said.
"From the mayor, all the way down to the garbage truck man: At what point do we come together?"
He suggested city leaders help distribute gun locks and offer firearm safety classes.
Collins urged gun owners to take responsibility for securing their firearms.
"If you're a gun owner, just do right by the community. Lock your gun up, keep it in a case, get a trigger lock," Collins said.
Police continue to investigate the circumstances leading to Saturday's shooting. Police said they will refer criminal charges to the Milwaukee County District Attorney's Office.
This story was reported on-air by Kaylee Staral and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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