MILWAUKEE — A mother’s pain pushes her to find answers, after her son is shot and killed just steps from his front door this summer.
Tony Stevenson called Milwaukee home, growing up near 1st and Keefe.
His mother Wanda says the 21-year-old was one of a kind.
“He was a character. He was different. He was special. He had a lot of people that loved him. He was funny, outgoing, he was all about his family. He was our protector,” said Wanda.
Earlier this summer, that all changed.
“He was going to the store to get something for his hair. I was upstairs laying down and we heard these shots,” said Wanda.
Wanda says her first instinct was to look for her three children, just to make sure they were safe, and she couldn’t find Tony.
“My sister was like, ‘Wanda, we have to go outside. I think I heard a gunshot and I think this is Tony lying on the ground.’ We go down there and there is my son,” said Wanda.
Tony was then taken to the hospital, where he died from his injuries a few days later.
Tony’s grandmother Hattie says she still can’t believe her beloved grandson is gone.
“Someone decided it was time for him to die and they're just roaming the streets of Milwaukee like there's nothing going on,” said Hattie.
Now, both women say they want to share his story to push for answers and encourage someone to come forward.
“I used to love Milwaukee, I called this my home. Now, I call it a killing zone. I’ve had 5 or 6 friends killed in the same month. And it seems like no one knows who did this and no one is trying to find out,” said Hattie.
While Tony’s case is still under investigation, the Milwaukee Police Department’s homicide clearance rates paint a bigger picture.
In 2021 and 2022, just over half of all of MPD’s open cases were closed, at 50 and 56 percent, respectively.
For 2023, the department is at 55 percent, year to date.
Both women say that waiting for closure is incredibly frustrating.
“We could take a gun and start shooting up, but that's not right, you know. We've got to find out and do this stuff legally, and do it right,” said Hattie.
Wanda says she’ll keep fighting until someone is caught and her son gets justice.
“My son didn’t deserve this. He did not deserve this. Nobody deserves this. He didn't do nothing that bad for this to happen to him. He didn’t do nothing to these people,” said Wanda.
Milwaukee Police say they continue to look for suspects.
If you have any information that you think could help, you’re asked to contact them or Crime Stoppers.
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