Nine-year-old girl shot during "shootout" near 15th & Meinecke; police recover more than 40 casings

MILWAUKEE -- Milwaukee Police Chief Ed Flynn said Thursday night, May 5th a nine-year-old girl was shot near 15th and Meinecke during a "shootout" between two groups of armed individuals.

It happened around 8:20 p.m.

Chief Flynn said more than 40 shell casings were recovered from the scene.

The nine-year-old girl was taken to a hospital, where she was in critical condition.

Chief Flynn said just last week, one of his officers walked the neighborhood and spoke with this young girl's family about their concerns. Flynn said the officer jumped rope with the girl, whose only concern was whether police can keep her safe.

FOX6 News obtained a photo of the victim -- Za'layia Jenkins -- from Jenkins' aunt.

Jenkins' aunt told FOX6 News she was at work when she got a call indicating her niece had been shot in front of a home at 15th and Meinecke.

"I was at work when I got the call, telling me to go home because something had happened -- that I needed to get home quick. She didn’t want to tell me what had happened because I was at work and she didn’t want me to panic at work, but then I had figured out that my niece got shot. Her birthday is this month on the 17th, so she'll be 10.  I’m praying she’s okay.  She’s nine.  And I know her sisters and brothers is devastated just like we all is. I don’t know what happened," Jenkins' aunt said.

One neighbor told FOX6's Ben Handelman they heard 30 shots around 8:15 p.m. as they were cooking dinner.

"I was in the house cooking and I heard about 30 shots. I told my kids to get down and we got down until all the gunfire stopped and then I got up and looked out the window and that`s when I saw all the commotion out there. They were screaming -- saying 'my baby got shot. My baby got shot.' And we didn`t know what was going on," the neighbor said.

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Monitor FOX6 News and FOX6Now.com for updates on this developing story.