Jamero Edwards

On the morning of February 18, 2024, a tragic incident inside a Milwaukee apartment ended the life of 4-year-old Jamero Edwards, a Black male his mother described as "my light" and "everything to me." Jamero, his mother Tiara Edwards, and his siblings were temporarily staying at a friend's home in the Bradley Townhomes apartment complex near 64th Court and Bradley Road while they were in the process of moving.

Around 10 a.m., while his mother and other adults were asleep, Jamero was playing with other children. According to the criminal complaint, Jamero found a loaded pink-and-chrome revolver in his mother's purse. A 6-year-old girl who was present later told investigators that Jamero handed her the gun and told her to shoot him. Not understanding the weapon was real, the girl pointed the firearm and pulled the trigger. The adults in the home were jolted awake by a single "pow" and the sound of children screaming. They found Jamero on the floor with a gunshot wound to his head.

The scene became chaotic as neighbors heard a mother's unforgettable screams. A woman in the apartment applied pressure to Jamero's wound while she and his mother's cousin rushed him to St. Joseph's Hospital instead of waiting for an ambulance. Jamero was reportedly still breathing when they arrived, but despite life-saving efforts, he was pronounced dead.

Milwaukee police launched an investigation that focused on how the children gained access to the weapon. Tiara Edwards, Jamero’s 32-year-old mother, told police the loaded revolver was hers and that it was in her purse, which she said was slung around her body as she slept on the couch. However, the 6-year-old girl and another of Edwards' children told investigators the purse was on the floor next to the couch. Edwards confirmed she had taken a concealed carry course but had not paid for the permit.

Tiara Edwards was arrested and charged with neglecting a child with the consequence of death. At her preliminary hearing on March 20, 2024, she was bound over for trial, with an arraignment set for March 26. As of March 2024, the case was proceeding through the court system.