Police have not said how the firearm was stored before a 6-year-old obtained it and fatally shot a 4-year-old Saturday.
MILWAUKEE, Wis. — Investigators are working to determine how a 6-year-old gained access to a firearm inside a Milwaukee home before the weapon was discharged and killed a 4-year-old, a case that has left key questions about the gun’s ownership and storage unanswered.
Milwaukee police said the shooting happened at about 8:55 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 24, at a home near North 53rd and West Center streets. Officers found the 4-year-old with a fatal injury, and the child was pronounced dead at the scene. Police said the 6-year-old had obtained the firearm and discharged it, but authorities have not publicly detailed where the gun had been kept or how the child reached it.
A 16-year-old was arrested for possessing a firearm in connection with the investigation. Police said the case will be referred to the Milwaukee County District Attorney’s Office for a decision on possible criminal charges. Authorities have not identified the teenager or explained the teenager’s relationship to the two younger children.
Those missing details are central to the continuing investigation. Police have not said who owned the gun, whether it was loaded when the children found it, what type of storage was being used or whether the 16-year-old had control of the weapon before the shooting. No charging documents had been released as of Sunday that could provide additional information about the firearm’s path into the home.
Relatives identified the child who died as Jurnee in an interview with TMJ4. Amya Burton-Lewis, a cousin, told the station that the children had been playing together when they came across the firearm. She said family members believed the gun had been secured and were unsure how the children gained access to it. Police have not confirmed those storage details.
The shooting brought police and medical examiner personnel to the northwest-side neighborhood Saturday morning. Early information released from the scene confirmed that the Milwaukee County Medical Examiner’s Office had been dispatched, signaling a death. Police later provided additional details about the ages of the children and the arrest of the teenager.
After announcing the circumstances of the shooting, Milwaukee police urged firearm owners to properly store and secure their weapons and keep them out of children’s reach. Authorities did not say whether investigators had recovered a lock, safe or other storage device from the home. Reporting based on police information placed the shooting in the 2700 block of North 53rd Street.
The arrest of the 16-year-old does not by itself establish responsibility for the child’s death. Police have publicly described the teenager’s arrest as related to firearm possession, while the Milwaukee County District Attorney’s Office will determine whether the evidence supports criminal charges. Authorities have not accused the teenager in a public statement of intentionally causing the shooting.
Police also have not announced findings about whether any adult bears legal responsibility for the gun’s accessibility. Investigators are continuing to examine the circumstances surrounding the firearm, and additional details could emerge if prosecutors file charges or authorities release further findings.
The case remained under investigation Sunday, one day after the shooting. The district attorney’s review of the 16-year-old’s arrest and police efforts to establish how the gun reached the children are the next confirmed steps in a case in which several crucial details have not yet been made public.
Author note: Last updated October 25, 2026.