Milwaukee family shares impact of gun violence during a week that’s seen several children shot
By Adam Rife
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MILWAUKEE (WDJT) — Four shootings this week are creating new gun violence victims who will have to cope with their injuries and the impacts for a long time.
The families of the gun violence victims also face challenges ahead.
Wednesday marked the four-year anniversary of a 15-year-old Milwaukee teen’s murder.
Jason Eggars’ family remembered him at a vigil Wednesday, and shared with us how that act of violence has changed their lives forever.
Lisa Collins is Eggars’ aunt. She said, “That’s no time to live on this earth. 15 years is no time at all to live on this earth.”
On December 13, 2019, the body of 15-year-old Jason Eggars was found in an alley near 17th and Clarke.
He’d been shot in the head. At the time, there were no witnesses, no video, and no clues.
Now, four years later, the murder remains unsolved.
His family still struggles with how to talk to their children about that violence.
Collins told us, “There’s a lot going on. You have a lot of negative energy out here. The Devil is working. So when one child sees one child do something, that’s going to make another child do something.”
Collins said the adults tell the children they should not respond with violence. “So they won’t have that anger like ‘Oh! My nephew got killed, I mean my cousin got killed, let me do this…’ So they don’t have that anger mentality.”
But, she added, “It’s very hard. Yes, it’s very hard.”
So far, 2023 is on pace to see more children under the age of 18 killed or injured by gunfire than any other year, according to The Gun Violence Archive.
This week, four other Milwaukee families will start having those same conversations.
On Monday, a 15-year-old was shot in the foot.
On Tuesday, an 8-year-old was shot on 35th but is expected to survive.
A short time later, a 16-year-old was shot near Sherman Park. That victim is also expected to survive but was taken into custody.
Then early Wednesday, just after midnight, a 13-year-old shot a 10-year-old. Police said that injury is life-threatening.
Now, four more families that will try and process acts of violence that Jason Eggars’ mother and aunt say their children are still working on four years later.
His mother, Philana Williamson, told us, “They’re not, but they’re ok.”
Collins added, “They’re ok but they’re not ok, if that makes sense.”
As for Jason Eggars’ murder: we reached out to the Milwaukee Police Department and the District Attorney’s office to see if there were any updates.
MPD did not respond. The DA’s office said nothing from this case has ever been referred to their office.
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