'Our kids are killing each other': Mothers of Milwaukee gun violence victims say city isn't doing enough

NOW: ’Our kids are killing each other’: Mothers of Milwaukee gun violence victims say city isn’t doing enough
NEXT:

MILWAUKEE (CBS 58) -- In a span of four days last week, six people were shot, leaving a 15-year-old dead. Then on Friday, a 5-year-old was grazed by a bullet while he was in his home watching cartoons with family. The mothers of these gun violence victims are speaking out in hopes someone will listen.

"It's torn us apart. I now have anxiety going outside. I don't sleep. I don't eat. Everybody in the house feels horrible," said Tiera Carter.

The devastation is still fresh for Tiera Carter, mother of 15-year-old Davion Patterson. Patterson was trying to defuse tensions between two young women on March 20, when he was shot and killed.

"It's traumatized my family. Any little sound it makes them jump to the floor," said Debbie Davis.

Davis is the mother of 5-year-old Devontea Walton. She nearly lost her son last Friday when a bullet fired from outside pierced the family home and grazed Walton while he was watching cartoons. Davis said if her son was any closer to the TV, the results could've been fatal.

Six juveniles ages of 2 to 17 have been killed so far this year by a firearm, more than 20 others have been hurt. Both mothers are determined to share their stories because their sons are more than a statistic.

"I don't got a lot of power but I got a mouth to say like you know the violence with the guns, stealing the cars, it needs to end," said Davis.

Davis and Carter said they feel city leaders aren't doing enough. But Karen Tyler, head of operations for the Office of Violence Prevention said her officer is making an impact.

"With prevention efforts you may not see the impact right away... We're coming off the third highest year of homicides so we're getting geared up as a team," said Tyler.

When asked how the officer measures success, Tyler said they're working to put together a data team that can prove their efforts are effective.

"We're already talking to our data teams, we're already talking to the people we're interviewing to come into work with data and just saying this is a challenge but how can we show the impact to our communities," said Tyler.

Addressing the gun violence crisis continues to be Mayor Cavalier Johnson's biggest challenge. Milwaukee saw a record number of homicides in 2022.

In February the city released a 40-page violence prevention plan that included the addition of outreach teams in violent hotspots. That won't roll out until Memorial day weekend.

Although Carter thinks this could help, she believes it's going to take a cultural reset to see change.

"When a Black person kills another Black person where are the marches, where is the outrage? We need to hold our own accountable because at the end of the day we're killing each other off -- our kids are killing each other off," said Carter.

Mayor Johnson agrees folks should hold each other accountable and said state leaders also have a responsibility to address gun violence.

"Part of that accountability though means that people who are responsible for gun access laws do their part and make sure folks don't have the access," said Mayor Johnson.

Carter and Davis said their families lives have changed forever and for that they will continue to speak out for the sake of their boys.

The Officer of Violence Prevention offers a support group for women who've lost a loved one to gun violence. They can be reached at 414-758-7693.

Share this article: