A 16-year-old was arrested after the early-morning shooting, which came one week after a separate Milwaukee gun incident killed a 4-year-old.
MILWAUKEE, WI — A 7-year-old child was hospitalized after being shot early Halloween morning in Milwaukee, prompting renewed concern among residents about children gaining access to firearms after a second young child was shot in the city within a week.
Milwaukee police said officers responded around 1:15 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 31, to the 2200 block of North 41st Street, near Garfield Avenue in the Washington Park neighborhood. The child suffered gunshot injuries and was taken to a hospital for treatment. Police arrested a 16-year-old in connection with the shooting but have not publicly said what led to the gunfire or whether the shooting was accidental or intentional.
Authorities have released few details about the relationship between the child and the teenager or how the firearm involved in the shooting was obtained. Police said the investigation remains active and that potential criminal charges will be referred to the Milwaukee County District Attorney’s Office. No detailed public update on the child’s medical condition had been released as of Sunday.
The shooting drew frustration and sadness from residents in the neighborhood, where Halloween normally brings children outside for trick-or-treating. Tony Hopson, who lives in the area, questioned how a child so young could have been shot and said the circumstances should not distract from the broader concern about keeping firearms away from children.
Hopson said preventing similar shootings will require more than law enforcement. He called for additional community resources, firearm safety education and efforts to make gun locks more widely available. He said residents and city leaders should work together on practical ways to reduce the risk of children gaining access to weapons.
Another resident, Tarrance Collins, said gun owners have a responsibility to secure their firearms. Collins urged people to use locked cases and trigger locks and to make sure weapons cannot be reached by children. Milwaukee police issued a similar reminder after the shooting, asking the public to properly store and secure firearms and keep them out of children’s hands.
The shooting happened one week after 4-year-old Jurnee Walker Scales was fatally shot at a Milwaukee home near North 53rd and West Center streets on Oct. 24. Police said Jurnee’s 6-year-old brother obtained a firearm and fired it while the children were together. She was pronounced dead at the scene.
In that earlier case, police arrested a 16-year-old sibling. Prosecutors later charged the teenager in juvenile court with neglecting a child resulting in death and possession of a dangerous weapon. Court reporting also showed investigators found another firearm in the home that authorities said had not been properly secured. The allegations against the teenager have not been resolved in court.
Family members told local news outlets that the younger children had been playing when they gained access to the gun. Relatives said they believed the firearm had been stored securely and did not know how the children reached it. Authorities have continued investigating how the weapon became accessible.
The two shootings, seven days apart, have brought added attention to firearm storage in homes where children may be present. Police have not said the cases are connected, and investigators have not announced a final explanation for how the 7-year-old was shot on Halloween.
Milwaukee police are continuing to investigate the Oct. 31 shooting. The 16-year-old arrested in connection with the case has not been publicly identified, and authorities have not announced charges. Any charging decision is expected to be reviewed by the Milwaukee County District Attorney’s Office.
Author note: Last updated November 1, 2026.