17-year-old boy fatally shot in Milwaukee on Thanksgiving
TJ DysartA 17-year-old boy was fatally shot Thursday, Milwaukee police said.
The victim, identified as Al'Jevon Wilkins by the Milwaukee County Medical Examiner's Office, was shot in an apartment on the 2400 block of W. Wells Street just before 11 a.m.
It's the 23rd time a juvenile has died by homicide in Milwaukee in 2023, according to police records. It's also the fourth consecutive year the city has had at least 20 child homicides, after having 10 or fewer between the years of 2016 and 2019, according to police and the city's Homicide Review Commission.
In 2022, there were 27 child homicides in Milwaukee.
All but a few of the juvenile homicides this year were committed with guns, according to police.
Nationally in 2020, firearm-related injuries exceeded car crashes as the leading cause of death of young people age 1 to 19, as reported by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Milwaukee police are still investigating the circumstances leading to Thursday's shooting.
Anyone with information is asked to contact Milwaukee Police at (414) 935-7360 or to remain anonymous, contact Crime Stoppers at (414) 224-Tips or P3 Tips App.
Where to find help
Milwaukee's Office of Violence Prevention recommends these resources for free support:
- 414Life outreach and conflict mediation support: 414-439-5525
- Milwaukee County's 24-Hour Mental Health Crisis Line: 414-257-7222
- Milwaukee's Child Mobile Crisis and Trauma Response Team: 414-257-7621
- National crisis text line: Text HOPELINE to 741741 to text with a trained crisis counselor
- Suicide and Crisis Lifeline: call or text 988 or chat at988lifeline.org
- National Domestic Violence Hotline: 800-799-7233