Seventeen-year-old Sherrone D Thornton Jr was fatally shot on June 19, 2024, in Milwaukee’s Washington Park around 8:53 p.m., shortly after a Juneteenth Peace Day event. A large fight involving about 50 young people broke out near the playground, and a 17-year-old suspect fired a fully automatic or modified firearm into the crowd, striking Thornton multiple times. Thornton was taken to a hospital and pronounced dead; a 15-year-old boy suffered non-life-threatening injuries.

A Milwaukee County Sheriff’s Office detective at the event saw the suspect firing and discharged his weapon but missed. The suspect fled and was arrested shortly afterward in a nearby alley. Multiple firearms were recovered at the scene, including the weapon used in the shooting. Two teenagers were charged: 15-year-old Noah M. Shotwell was charged with first-degree reckless homicide as a party to a crime and admitted being at the scene, saying he shot at Thornton while Thornton was on the ground and called it a mistake; 17-year-old Onterio Girley faces charges including first-degree reckless endangering safety for firing shots that injured Shotwell.

Community leaders and residents have called for increased efforts to curb youth violence and teenage access to firearms, and discussions are underway about tightening security at public events and expanding conflict resolution and youth engagement programs. Did anyone at the event or nearby see what led to the initial large fight, or have information about how the firearms appeared at the gathering?