Michael Trevino

In the summer of 2012, the life of Michael Trevino, a 20-year-old Hispanic man, was cut short by violence in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. In the days following his death, friends gathered to support his grieving family by holding a car wash and food sale. The fundraiser was organized to help cover his funeral costs. "Any money the family forked out, we are helping them pay it back," a family friend explained.

Shortly after midnight in the early hours of Saturday, July 21, 2012, Michael was outside a house on the city's south side, near South 23rd and West Orchard streets. A car with two men inside approached, and Michael was shot and killed in what police described as a drive-by shooting. He was recorded as the city’s 46th homicide victim of the year.

The investigation that followed highlighted the neighborhood's ongoing struggles with violence. According to a Milwaukee Police Department spokeswoman, the area had a history of crimes including shootings, arsons, and other homicides, with one particular house being known for gang affiliations. A month after Michael’s death, three more people were shot in the same location, prompting police to address the cycle of violence. Police Chief Flynn stated there was an "ongoing beef involving a number of people from different organizations" and lamented that no one was cooperating with his department's investigation.

Family members connected to the house spoke out after the second shooting, saying they did not know why they were being targeted and that the home had not been involved in gang activity for years. An alderman called the property a "magnet for violence" and urged city leaders to shut it down. As of August 2012, police were still searching for the suspects responsible for Michael Trevino's death, and his case remains unsolved.