Chaos and confusion briefly dominated the scene at Milwaukee's Zeidler Municipal Building following a report of a possible active shooter situation yesterday afternoon. According to WISN 12 News, the report, which came in just after 3 p.m., suggested that a disgruntled former employee had returned to the premises possibly armed with a gun. This information prompted an extensive police response, with law enforcement personnel quickly descending upon the downtown site.
However, as the situation began to clearly unravel, authorities found to no evidence of shots fired. Milwaukee Mayor Cavalier Johnson addressed the alarm publicly, stating, "Nothing essentially happened at this time," as per an interview with jsonline.com. Employees, who were at the time instructed to shelter in place, were caught in a tumult of fear and uncertainty that ultimately may have been caused by a mere door slam in the aftermath of an employee termination.
Mayor Johnson also presented the possibility that the dismissal of the employee could have led to an explosive expression of frustration. "I think that someone was terminated and must have been disappointed by that news, and perhaps slammed a door one or multiple times and that created a loud noise that perhaps sounded like gunfire," Johnson told reporters during a media briefing, a statement echoed by TMJ4. While the situation proved to be less dire than initially feared, the Mayor commended the employees for their vigilance: "if you see something, say something."
Inspector Sharonda Grant of the Milwaukee Police added that there was a person of interest related to the incident they desired to talk to, though clarified that there was no indication that any shooting took place. Despite the broad daylight drama, no evidence has surfaced to substantiate the reports of a shooting, as confirmed in a statement obtained by WISN 12 News.
