Those frustrated with recent violence speak out at National Night Out



MILWAUKEE (WITI) -- National Night Out was held in communities across Wisconsin and the country on Tuesday night, August 6th, but the National Night Out in Milwaukee was of significance, after a violent weekend in the city, four shootings overnight Monday, and at least two shootings on Tuesday -- one occurring at a Family Dollar store.

Frustrated by all the violence, Murial Coats took her family to the National Night Out celebration at Milwaukee Police District 3.

"What's going on, it's crazy and senseless. Normally the person that`s most affected is the innocent bystander," Coats said.

Coats says she's seen firsthand the devastating impact of gun violence, with family members and neighbors murdered -- and a daughter who survived a stray bullet to her hip.

"he was in the crossfire and it has a devastating effect," Coats said.

Patrice Williams still has that bullet in her hip, from eight years ago. The pain it causes means she cannot lift her son.

"I`m kind of scared for them to be out in the community alone, daytime, nighttime, I`m always thinking something is gonna happen," Williams said.

And she has reason to worry.

On Friday, police responded to six shootings in five hours. In all of the weekend's violence, there were 14 victims, and two did not survive.

Then on Monday night, four more shootings.

"If we are gonna address the crime problem we have to have a relationship with the community," Milwaukee County District Attorney John Chisholm said.

Chisholm says the annual Night Out is part of a long-term strategy to combat crime.

"The long-term solution is to develop these relationships with our neighbors and identifying the people that scare us versus the people we can intervene and do something with to prevent the problem," Chisholm said.

"The police can only do so much you know, but we need neighborhood support. We need people to come together," Coats said.

National Night Out began in 1984 as an effort to promote involvement in crime prevention activities, police-community partnerships, neighborhood camaraderie and send a message to criminals letting them know that neighborhoods are organized and fighting back. The program culminates annually, on the first Tuesday of August.