Milwaukee leaders taking action against violence in wake of 14 homicides in 15 days

MILWAUKEE -- It has been a very violent month for the City of Milwaukee. Fourteen people have been killed in just a couple of weeks. City leaders say they are trying to stop the violence from persisting.

"Any loss of life is a tragedy regardless of the circumstances and so we have to show up to de-normalize the senseless loss of life in our city," said Reggie Moore, Office of Violence Prevention.

Since Aug. 1, 14 people have been killed in Milwaukee.

A shooting took the lives of two brothers at 6th and Center on Wednesday, Aug. 15.

"They were good young men, striving to be better," said Macshaunya Wright, victims' sister.

One day later, a man was shot at Keefe and Hubbard.

Reggie Moore

"These past few weeks have definitely been some of the most violent of the year," said Moore.

Reggie Moore is the director of the Office of Violence and Prevention.

"This is not something that happened overnight," Moore said. "This is something that is going to take awhile to change, but we are committed to supporting the community and working with the community in order to bring about that change."

Last week, Acting Milwaukee County Sheriff Richard Schmidt announced those with outstanding warrants would be targeted. Thursday, Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett said authorities are beginning a focused enforcement in high-crime neighborhoods.

Tom Barrett

"I just spoke to Chief Morales this morning, and obviously in the wake of what's occurred the past two weeks he is working very, very proactively," Mayor Barrett said.

Efforts to stop violence in a community looking for change.

Moore says the city is following a long-term plan called the "Blueprint for Peace" to stop the violence. They are trying to prevent what happened in 2016, when there were 24 homicides in the month of August.