MILWAUKEE — Milwaukee police continue to investigate three shootings over the past 48 hours.  The first took place Wednesday afternoon near a gas station at 60th and Oklahoma on the city’s south side. Police said a person, or multiple people fired into a car. Four people inside were hurt. A 33-year-old and a 28-year-old adult have life-threatening injuries. A 9-year-old and a 4-year-old are expected to survive.

Then, a deadly shooting happened near 40th and Vliet Street on Wednesday afternoon.  Police said a 38-year-old man and a 25-year-old man shot each other during an argument. The 25-year-old died, while the 38-year-old was treated at a Milwaukee hospital and arrested.  

Just after noon on Thursday, police said someone fired into a vehicle on North 44th Street, hitting a 20-year-old and a one-year-old. Both were treated for non-fatal injuries.

Alderman Peter Burgelis issued a strongly-worded statement Thursday morning. The shooting on the south side happened in his district. He spoke to Spectrum News Thursday afternoon.

“What happened on 60th and Oklahoma in my district here where three masked gunman shot up a car with kids in it, that kind of violent behavior doesn’t happen on the south side,” he said.  “As a policy maker, I want to have as many tools and resources as possible to create policy and make laws to keep my community safe and we’re restricted from Madison from doing everything we can for our community.”

Burgelis called on the legislature to “get to work” and pass legislation to keep Milwaukee safe. He added that the legal system needs the proper tools to hold criminals accountable.

“We make sure we have the right laws and that judges have the tools they need to hold people accountable,” he said. “Minimum sentencing guidelines sometimes prevent judges from really enforcing the way they see is appropriate. We need Madison’s help. We have to change laws and get tougher on crime.”

“We have to make investments upstream in our community so that in neighborhoods where violence and criminal behavior is rampant, resources get to those people impacted and we catch young people before they turn to a life of crime.”

Milwaukee Police Chief Jeffrey Norman, Mayor Cavalier Johnson, Common Council President Jose Perez, Ashanti Hamilton of the Office of Violence Prevention and other alderpersons held a press conference Thursday to condemn the violence within the City of Milwaukee.  This comes one week after a violent incident shut down the interstate for hours, prompting a press conference as well.

“We must convince a desperate few that despite the damage they can do that they have something precious to lose,” President Perez said.  “That real respect doesn’t come from violence and foolish choices. We all have a responsibility to do that.”

Hamilton spoke of a renewed sense of unity from parts of the community he said have not spoken up before.

“There’s a willingness to say collectively that the lives you’re putting in the crossfire of your unwillingness to find alternatives to your conflicts are just too valuable to be numbers during the summer time that we just accept,” he said.

Police Chief Norman spoke passionately about a need to stop the violence and a need for the community and parents to be positive role models.

“When we engage in this type of behavior, there are no winners. Enough,” he said. “Show our young ones how to resolve these issues in a productive way. Do something.”

Mayor Johnson echoed Burgelis in calling on lawmakers to act.

“We need stronger laws at the state and federal level to circumvent that so we have no more bloodshed in Milwaukee,” he said.

Alderman Burgelis said he plans to introduce legislation Tuesday that would ban the use of ski masks, or balaclava. He said it is something the Milwaukee Police Department has been asking for for about a year. He said the city attorney is wrapping up his review of it.