A tragic burst of violence struck Milwaukee last week as a shooting took the life of a local 19-year-old woman and left four other teens injured. According to a report by CBS 58, the victim was identified by family as Bre'nee Veasley, and the shooting has urged the community to call for substantive change in the wake of the incident. Brionna Austin, Bre'nee's cousin, spoke with CBS 58, expressing confusion and heartbreak over the loss, "My girl was in school, she was in college, she lived on a campus, she wasn’t out here, and I don’t understand," she said, "I will never get it. She didn’t deserve this."
The shooting occurred at a strip mall near the old Northridge Mall area just before the stroke of 11 p.m. last Friday, WISN 12 News detailed that along with Veasley, a 14-year-old, a 15-year-old, and two 16-year-olds were also wounded and are now recovering from non-fatal injuries, Veasley, whom was described as a 4.0 GPA nursing student at Lakeland University, did not survive the mayhem, her mother echoed the sentiments of loss and called for an end to the violence, telling WISN 12 News, "My daughter was beautiful, intelligent, and a true light for our family. We’ve taken a major loss. She was driven, family-oriented, and had so much ahead of her. No mother should have to endure what I’m going through right now. I’m calling for justice—for Bre and for every child taken too soon. We need the violence to stop. No more families should have to feel this pain."
The festivities at a teen party were violently interrupted when gunshots erupted, causing attendees to flee in panic, FOX 6 News Milwaukee documented the turn of events that ultimately claimed the life of Veasley. The investigation into the shooting is still active as Milwaukee Police continue to search for the suspects responsible for the violence and the community grapples with another stark reminder of the gun violence affecting its youth.
Amid the turmoil and grief, Veasley's cousin, Matt Hogans, in an interview with CBS 58, looked toward the impact that her untimely death could have on the Milwaukee community—where it might ignite a fervent call to action, "We want to make sure that Bre’s death, murder, is a beacon for the city to wake up," he said, indicating a hope for something transformative to come from this tragedy.
