Four Deaths In Milwaukee Make 22 Gun-Related Homicides In Wisconsin, Year To Date

Editor’s Note: This article is part of a Wisconsin Public Radio year-long series tracking all gun-related homicides in Wisconsin.

Four more recent deaths in Milwaukee bring the tally of gun-related homicides in the state to 22 thus far this year.

The Milwaukee Police Department (MPD) reported this week that Lamar Nash, 35, died as a result of being shot on March 10. They also reported that Earl Potts, 54, was gunned down last Friday. Both cases are under investigation. The MPD also says there were two apparently drug-related gun homicides this week, resulting in the deaths of Terreonte Henry-Boston, 21, and Ronnie Dunn, 39.

Milwaukee filmmaker Janet Fitch is familiar with this sort of list. She’s produced gun-related documentaries, including a series called “Guns, Grief and Grace in America.” Now, Fitch is starting some dialogues about people’s connections to guns, including a session Saturday night in Milwaukee. She says she believes gun owners and others can agree on some key points.

“People are really longing to be able to find commonality, to be able to find a way to sit down and talk to each other about this issue that nobody want,” says Fitch. “Nobody wants more gun deaths or injuries.”

Fitch says she hopes the talks inspire people to action, even though that could mean more concealed carry permit holders displaying their guns in public.

“It might be, if that’s what they really believe,” said Fitch. “But it also might be people saying just at coffee, the next time there’s a mass shooting, that we can’t avoid these. And somebody saying, ‘You know, maybe we can.‘”

Beside the three dialogues in Milwaukee over the next two weeks, Fitch has prepared a toolkit for others in Wisconsin to use to host conversations about guns in their communities.