MILWAUKEE  — Milwaukee Alderman Mark Chambers Jr. said the shooting death of mail carrier Aundre Cross is beyond tragic. 

What You Need To Know

  • Aundre Cross, a USPS mail carrier, was shot and killed Friday afternoon while on the job

  •  He was an 18-year veteran of the USPS

  • Friends and neighbors are frustrated with the rise in violent crime

“It was an unfortunate event," Chambers Jr. said. "It should have never happened.”

The shooting happened in the neighborhood he represents, Milwaukee’s Second Aldermanic District. 

“I loved the man. He was a father of four. I actually found out that some of his kids actually attended the same school as my son," Chambers Jr. said. "He was very dedicated to his work and to his family. It’s just very tragic and very unfortunate, and it really just should have never happened.”

Cross’ death marks more than 200 homicides in Milwaukee so far in 2022, according to city data.

It’s a record for the city, and people who live in the city said they’re fed up. 

“They deserve to be fed up because right now we’re in a state of crisis in the city," Chambers Jr. said. "We have broken the record for the most homicides for the third year in a row, and that’s unacceptable.”

Mayor Cavalier Johnson agreed. 

On Tuesday, he renewed his calls to state and federal lawmakers to change gun laws. 

“Obviously, it’s quite obvious, that a person who would kill a postal worker should not have had their hands on a gun in the first place," Johnson said. "We all have to come to grips with that, and all of us have to work to stop and make sure folks don’t have that sort of access.”

But it’s not just guns.

Spectrum News spoke with Tarsha McClain on Monday. She was friends with Cross and worked with him at the same post office. 

She said while it’s not common for mail carriers to be killed, violence is nothing new. 

“This wasn’t the first attack on carriers," McClain said. 

Johnson said this homicide continues to show that the city needs more resources at the police department. 

“I know that when people call the police, our department works extremely hard to address the issues as they come in," Johnson said. "Now, there’s a lot of calls that are coming in across the city and the police department is working very diligently with the resources that they have in order to address it."

Chambers Jr. said he understands why mail carriers in Milwaukee — and why people who live in the city — want something to change. 

“I have family that are mail carriers. My uncle actually worked at the same garage that Aundre worked at. I have aunts, I have friends that are mail carriers, and I want them to know that we are with them," Chambers Jr. said. "We are with them every step of the way.”

Both Chambers Jr. and Mayor Johnson both want to remind the community if you see something, even if it’s small, say something. 

Police said they’re still investigating the circumstances leading up to the incident and are searching for suspects. MPD is helping with the investigation, along with the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

The inspection service is offering a reward of up to $50,000 for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the suspect or suspects. They say the suspect or suspects should be considered armed and dangerous. The suspect vehicle was described as a silver Audi Q5 SUV with tinted windows.

Those who have information about the crime can contact MPD at (414) 935-7360 or the U.S. Postal Inspection Service at (877) 876-2455. If you wish to remain anonymous, you can contact Crime Stoppers at (414) 224-TIPS or P3 TIPS.​