Milwaukee Sextuple Homicide

On Sunday, January 23rd, Milwaukee police officers were called to perform a welfare check in a residential Wisconsin neighborhood. Upon arrival, officers found six dead persons at the scene – five men and a woman. The victims ranged in age between 23 and 49. The coroner’s report revealed all the victims had died from gunshot wounds, while the number and type of gun(s) remains undetermined. Later in the week, four were declared to be in custody for their involvement in the crime, but no charges have been filed yet. Due to the recency of the crime, officers still remain unsure of potential motives and withhold crucial information to the public due to the importance of the ongoing investigation. 

But, a look into legal records indicates that three of the six victims appear on witness lists for pending homicide cases in Milwaukee. Though speculatory, the multi-homicide could certainly have something to do with the victims’ involvement in other pending homicide cases. 

Much remains unsolved about this case, but one thing sadly will not change – there are six more victims of homicide in a US city, already in 2022. The US saw its murder rate increase 30% between 2019 and 2020, marking the single largest increase in the country’s history since 1905. Firearms were more likely to be used in the act as well. Murder wasn’t the only violent crime to increase in the pandemic year, as aggravated assault, robbery, and rape all had at least an uptick. Experts blame economic and societal changes as causal factors, and a combination of the two. Although the US experienced such a large, undesirable increase in 2020 in these violent crimes, they are still far less likely to occur than they were in previous decades like the 1980s. In fact, Americans are more likely to die from suicide and overdose, indicating a variety of societal issues. The murder of six individuals has been, is, and will continue to be unacceptable in this country for any purpose. It’s troubling to see continued violence since the onset of the pandemic in a sustained fashion, particularly in cities like Chicago, New York, Los Angeles, and Philadelphia. Statistically, many of these violent city crimes are gang, drug, and gun related offenses. Milwaukee isn’t notorious for its homicide numbers in comparison to these cities, specifically in a residential suburb, highlighting that crime can strike anyone, anywhere, at any time.