Emergency meeting called after more shootings on Water Street, eyewitness video shows the 'utter chaos'

MILWAUKEE (CBS 58) -- Another weekend of gun violence on Water Street has Milwaukee leaders pushing for changes in one of the city's busiest entertainment districts.

Several city alderpersons want answers from MPD's boots on the ground: why is gun violence ramping up and what can everyone do about it?

An emergency meeting will be held at City Hall Wednesday, but there may be no easy answers.

It was after 2:30 a.m. Sunday morning when gunshots sent hundreds of people scrambling for safety on Water Street.

A 31-year-old was injured.

The night before, a 21-year-old was shot and injured, the third straight weekend with a Water Street shooting.

Milwaukee District 4 Alderman Bob Bauman told us, "Water Street is pretty much out of control."

Bauman and Common Council President Jose Pérez said in a statement community groups and MPD both "must step up."

Bauman added, "We, frankly, need a plan as to what they're going to do about it."

Bauman wants to hear from the police department, calling them the experts on the ground.

An emergency meeting with MPD and the city's Office of Community Wellness and Safety is scheduled for Wednesday, July 30, to hear "plans to address violence and disorder."

Much of the violence happens after the bars close at 2 a.m. and many of the people involved are older than 18 and would not fall under a curfew.

Bauman wondered if police need more horses, officers, or even more serious measures. "Do we shut the street down? I mean really shut the street down. I mean lock it down so there's two or three entry points and everybody has to go through metal detectors."

That's just an idea, but Bauman says the current plan is not working.

On July 12, Antwan "Tweezy" Hogans was shot and killed in a Water Street shooting. Four others were also shot, and one of them later died.

The next weekend, a 21-year-old was killed, and a 15-year-old was injured in a shooting near Water and Juneau that happened after 2 a.m.

But it's not just gun violence: reckless driving and traffic control are also a concern. Two young women were hospitalized last weekend when a car crashed through police barriers.

Bauman called them "flimsy wooden barriers which stop nothing."

The city paid for barriers that are supposed to stop vehicles, but Bauman said no one knows where they are.

He, and others, hope to get answers Wednesday. "We need factual information as to what is happening to have any hope of finding a solution."

Wednesday's emergency meeting will start at 9 a.m. at City Hall.

MPD is still looking for suspects in the two weekend shootings on Water Street.