Investigators have identified a suspect in the shooting that left a driver and a teen boy dead after a toddler was hit and killed by a vehicle on Sunday, Milwaukee police said.
Police have not named the suspect publicly but said Tuesday they are working to locate the person.
The gunman opened fire Sunday evening after the toddler, 2-year-old Damani T. Terry, ran into the street and was hit and killed by a van driven by Archie Brown Jr., 40.
The subsequent gunfire left Brown dead and also wounded the toddler’s brother, 15-year-old Rasheed T. Chiles, who died later at a hospital.
The boys had been attending a party at a nearby house.
“What did we have Sunday?” Milwaukee Police Chief Edward Flynn said, addressing reporters after a news conference announcing a new neighborhood initiative on the city’s near west side.
“We had some clown take the law into his own hands and murder a guy who was doing what we expect good citizens to do and, oops, accidentally killed somebody else,” Flynn said.
“Now we’re after that guy, we know who he is and if we need to share information we will,” Flynn said. “We’re going to clear up that homicide, but … the leading cause of homicidal violence with guns in this city is arguments and fights.”
The chief also referenced a fatal shooting Monday night that left a 17-year-old girl dead and two men wounded. The shooting came after a dispute among girls who called their boyfriends, who arrived at the area and began shooting. The girl who was killed was not involved in the dispute, Flynn said.
The outbreak of deadly violence in Milwaukee continued with a fatal stabbing Tuesday, which police described as an act of domestic violence.
In the Sunday incident, Brown Jr., 40, had been driving the van about 5:10 p.m. near Wahl Park, when he hit 2-year-old Damani, who had darted into the road, according to Milwaukee police.
Brown immediately jumped out and — by all accounts — was grieving and upset as he stood over the body. Damani’s brother, Chiles, was at the scene as well when the gunman opened fire.
Brown was pronounced dead at the scene. Chiles died during surgery Sunday night.
Brown’s father, Archie Brown Sr., 68, of Milwaukee, was at the scene after the crash Sunday evening. He told the Journal Sentinel his son was shot in the head. Brown said his son was the father of four daughters, including one who is 6 months old. Funeral arrangements are pending and a vigil is planned for Wednesday evening.
Mayor Tom Barrett described the double shooting as a “horrific event that underscores many of the challenges that we face in the city” during a Monday afternoon news conference.
Also Monday, attorney Michael Hupy offered a $25,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the person who pulled the trigger.