A Thursday morning on Milwaukee’s East Side turned tense when a robbery and shots-fired incident near the lakefront ended with a 25-year-old in custody, police said, leaving residents shaken but uninjured. Officers reported that victims were held at gunpoint on Terrace Avenue and that the suspect then went into a nearby home and fired a gun inside. Police said the case will be referred to the Milwaukee County district attorney.
According to CBS 58, the call came in around 9:10 a.m. on Thursday, Feb. 26, after a suspect allegedly held victims at gunpoint on Terrace Avenue, near the Villa Terrace Museum & Gardens, before entering a residence and discharging a firearm inside. The station reports that no one was struck and that officers arrested a 25-year-old in the area, with detectives describing the investigation as ongoing.
Where it happened
The incident unfolded on Terrace Avenue, a narrow lakeside street that runs past the Villa Terrace Decorative Arts Museum at 2220 N. Terrace Ave. The Villa Terrace Museum lists that address on its website and highlights the gardens and events that make the block a regular stop for visitors as well as a familiar landmark for neighbors.
City crime context
The arrest comes amid a complicated crime picture in Milwaukee, where some offenses are declining even as homicides edge higher in 2025. Reporting by WPR notes that city officials have called the split between falling overall violent crime and rising homicides a troubling anomaly.
Investigation and next steps
Police told CBS 58 that investigators recovered a firearm and took one person into custody, and that criminal referrals will be made to the Milwaukee County District Attorney’s Office. Authorities have not released additional identifying information as detectives continue to process the scene and interview witnesses.
Anyone with information is asked to contact the Milwaukee Police Department non-emergency line at (414) 933-4444 or submit anonymous tips to Crime Stoppers at 414-224-TIPS. The department’s “Who to Contact” page offers online reporting options and additional resources for residents.
