Family remembers tattoo artist killed in shooting

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MILWAUKEE (CBS 58) – Loved ones gathered Sunday to remember a tattoo artist killed in a shooting Saturday afternoon.

Family members identified the victim as Demetrius Holmes. 

The shooting happened at 28th and Wright around 4:30 p.m.

“I had a family barbeque at my house. We were all sitting outside by my house, guys came through the gangway, and just opened fire at my porch, at all of my kids, basically, my mom, my kids, my 4-year-old and myself,” said Howard Harris, the victim’s dad.

Evelyn Harris, the victim’s grandmother, said he was sitting next to her when he was shot.

“I was sitting right there on the porch and he was sitting right next to me. I saw him take his first bullet to his last bullet, I saw it all,” said Harris, “He grabbed my leg, my left leg, and he was holding it saying, ‘Granny, I can’t breathe,” ‘Baby, stay still, stay still, help is on the way,’ and he just took his last breath.”

Howard Harris said Holmes was a “well loved” tattoo artist who worked at Luxury Ink.

“He has a lot of people that’s standing out here with his artwork. So you know, I’m hurt that I lost my son, but like I was saying about this picture, I can look at this picture and see my son, but when I’m out tin the world and see the artwork on people, I can see my son, because my son did a lot of tattoos through Milwaukee.”

Harris said the shooting happened when the family was gathered for a barbeque to be together because a family member in Texas had just been killed.

“That’s what makes this so hard, my first cousin lost her son in Texas Friday morning,” said Harris.

Harris said Holmes also leaves behind a 5-year-old son. 

“He had just got off the phone with my grandson, maybe two to three minutes before he was shot,” he said.

Milwaukee Police say the shooting stemmed from an argument. 

“I think it was some ongoing beef from years ago, nothing current nothing, ya know years ago, I’m talking about two, two and a half years ago,” Harris said.

Milwaukee Police say they are working on identifying the suspect or suspects in the shooting. 

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