Milwaukee's mayor condemns suspects in Friday shootings, calls for better gun legislation
MILWAUKEE (CBS 58) -- Milwaukee Mayor Cavalier Johnson was joined by city police officials, the city attorney, Senator La Tonya Johnson, and other city representatives on Saturday, May 14, as he addressed the gun violence on Friday, May 13, and calling for legislative change.
21 people were reported shot on Friday night near the Deer District. 17 of those victims were shot during a lone incident.
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Mayor Johnson praised law enforcement and condemned the several suspects that were arrested in connection with the shootings.
"I have no doubt at all that the vast majority of people who came downtown did so with the intention to be non-violent," Johnson said. "Unfortunately there were a small number of people who did not have those intentions, who wanted to cause destruction in our city. That can't stand."
In response, tighter restrictions are now in place. The Mayor imposed an emergency curfew downtown for those under 21 years old, starting at 11:00 p.m. on both Saturday and Sunday night.
The boundaries are Vel Phillips to Broadway and Knapp/McKinley to State.
The curfew ends at 5:30 a.m. each following morning.
According to Milwaukee police, violators of the curfew will be arrested and fined $691.
There will also be an increased police presence throughout the city.
"If you intend to loiter, if you intend to act out, if you intend to do anything unlawful, don't come here," Mayor Johnson said.
Johnson noted that Friday's incidents contribute to the rise in shootings in Milwaukee and across the country.
He used the conference address to call for stricter gun regulation.
"If Somebody is going to take out a gun and shoot it into a crowd of people... who thinks that those people should have access to guns? I don't think it's a crazy thing to say that they should not. Let's work to make sure they don't," Johnson said.
The call for increased gun control across the city and state was echoed by Wisconsin State Senator La Tonya Johnson.
"We are not only putting our residents in danger, we are putting our police officers in danger too, because they are out-gunned," Senator Johnson said, "If the state doesn't want to pass restrictions that would garner more gun restrictions for the entire state, then they could allow Milwaukee the opportunity to regulate the guns for themselves."