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'I really wanted to perform': Artist speaks out about shooting at Miramar Theatre

Posted at 6:29 AM, Jun 03, 2019
and last updated 2019-06-03 17:46:55-04

MILWAUKEE — Milwaukee police said a fight inside the Miramar Theatre led to three people being shot outside of the concert venue Saturday night.

YBN Kenny and a group of other local artists were supposed to perform for their fans, but the concert was shut down before some of the artists could step on stage.

"All the hot local artist came out to one building, and all the fans came to support," said YBN Kenny. "We all just came together. Just a big show for the fans."

YBN Kenny said the night was meant to be about celebrating local musicians. He said having one person impact the night for everyone is upsetting.

"It was kind of disappointing because I wanted the fans to see me, but due to the violence they had to shut it down," he said.

The shooting happened around 8:10 p.m. Two 22-year-old women and a 25-year-old man were all shot.

Hilary Chavez heard the gunfire and witnessed the chaos.

"We heard three shots, and we just dived on the floor," said Chavez. "I thought it was sad because it seemed like they were going to a show and it was going to be fun."

Jon Juse saw the sea of concertgoers running past his home to safety.

"We saw groups of people running through the park, and we didn't know what was going on," he said. "We came out and looked at the scene."

Local businesses shut down early, some locking their doors with customers inside until the scene was safe.

YBN Kenny offered his sympathy to the fans that were injured. He hopes something like this never happens at any concert.

"I feel bad for the fans that they have to go through that it's just crazy," he said. "I'm speechless. I really wanted to perform."

YBN Kenny plans to continue to perform. If fans would like to reach out to him about upcoming events, you can stop by his tattoo shop called Luxury Ink.

Authorities are still searching for the shooter.

Here is a statement from venue owner Aaron Ohlsson:

"We at the Miramar are shocked and saddened at the violence that occurred outside of our venue Saturday night.

"Our thoughts are with the three victims who suffered non-life-threatening injuries.

"The Miramar has always been a platform for young artists to gain exposure and catapult their music careers, especially within the hip hop community. We do not want this unfortunate isolated incident to affect the growth of Milwaukee's musicians however the safety of our patrons and community are our first and foremost priority. In response to this incident, we will be reviewing our security protocol with Milwaukee Police Department and discontinuing third party rentals for these type of events indefinitely.

"We urge anyone with information about this incident to contact the Milwaukee Police Department at (414) 935-7360 or to submit a tip anonymously at (414) 933-4444."