"Something needs to be done about it:" 7-year-old Milwaukee boy shot while sleeping on couch



Shooting near 39th and Hampton



MILWAUKEE -- Not safe in his own home, a seven-year-old boy was shot after a bullet entered his home near 39th and Hampton Monday night, September 25th. Thankfully, the boy is expected to survive. He's being treated at the hospital and is in stable condition. What happened will most likely affect him and the rest of the residents in the neighborhood for some time.

First shots, then emergency crews just minutes later...

"I heard a bang," said Michelle Williams, neighbor.

"It was scary," Joyce Nixon said, neighbor.

Shooting near 39th and Hampton



A bullet pierced through the boy's home around 9:30 p.m.

"They told me the little boy was shot sleeping on the couch," said Williams. "Innocent little boy -- just stunned."

Seven-year-old boy shot inside home near 39th and Hampton



Folks living near 39th and Hampton are worried about their young neighbor.

Shooting near 39th and Hampton



"To see something like this happen, then to see it was a kid, I was like oh, it was terrible," said Nixon.

Michelle Williams



"Nice little boy. It's just a blessing he's alright. It really is," said Williams.

Showing their concern, not only for the victim but for themselves as well, their sense of comfort is now stripped.

"It's really bad. Something needs to be done about it," said Nixon.

Shooting near 39th and Hampton



The high crime rate is really striking a chord with many. Pastor Kurt Owens, who lives a few doors down, says he's trying to make a change with different initiatives that make an impact that could reach some of the root issues of crime and violence.

"Transform the neighborhood economically, whatever the needs of the residents on this block, to try to come along and uplift them in those areas and try to transform the block spiritually," said Pastor Owens. "Having a larger presence than the troublemakers on the block. I think that will change our communities."

Kurt Owens



Realizing violence is an issue that travels through the streets of Milwaukee, reaching the offenders is a collective effort.

"If I see something that is wrong, I'll be sure to call the police," said a neighbor. "Be vigilant of what's around you."

Police say the little boy was not the intended target in the shooting. They continue to look for the person who pulled the trigger.

The mother of the boy has posted a GoFundMe page for her son.