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FBI explains role in Water Street violence investigation

water street mass shooting
Posted at 5:05 PM, May 18, 2022
and last updated 2022-05-18 18:54:26-04

MILWAUKEE — The head of the Federal Bureau of Investigation's Milwaukee field office said as soon as violence broke out on Water Street last weekend, he reached out to the city's police chief to help.

"Not that they can't do it, but ultimately we're all better together when we work collectively because we have different capabilities and different resources," Special Agent in Charge Michael Hensle said.

WATCH: Michael Hensle discusses the investigation:

Michael Hensle on FBI's involvement in weekend violence

The FBI collaborates with MPD and has a facility within their department. In this case, Hensle said the FBI is providing a digital tip line set up by colleagues in Quantico, Virginia.

People hold up their smartphone camera to a specific QR code and submit their info and any digital media leading up to the violence, during, or after to help investigators.

If you have information to share about the mass shooting with the FBI, use the below QR code to go to their tips page:

FBI QR CODE

It is a resource the FBI has used the resource first with the Boston bombing, as well as, the Pulse nightclub shooting.

"In all those past events that has helped. It's made a more streamlined approach to how we will get information and then how we evaluate that information for relevancy," Hensle said.

While 11 people were arrested in connection to the shootings, law enforcement is still working to identify people highlighted in surveillance video that depicted one shooting on Water Street near Highland around 10:30 p.m. Friday.

Social media is another resource investigators are using to put together a picture of what happened and why, but not all of the work is behind the computer.

"You're out in the street collecting information, talking to people, you're looking at digital media. We have FBI agents. We have intelligence professionals as well as professional staff that all work together," Hensle said.

The Special Agent in Charge did not have information on how many submissions they received since the tip line opened.

If you have information to share about the mass shooting with the FBI, use the below QR code to go to their tips page:

FBI QR CODE

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