5 killed, 16 injured in weekend gun violence

Emergency vehicles respond to the corner of North Farwell Avenue and East Lafayette Place for a shooting Saturday evening. Milwaukee police say a 25-year-old man shot a 21-year-old woman before killing himself. The woman suffered life-threatening injuries.

Five people were fatally shot and 16 others were injured since Saturday in Milwaukee as summer gun violence in the city ramps up.

For about a year, officials have stressed that more guns appear to be on the streets and are being used to escalate arguments. Acting Police Chief Jeffrey Norman said Monday the weekend violence represented a “confluence of poor conflict resolution and firearms,” along with a recent uptick in domestic violence incidents.

He also again took aim at youth involvement in violent incidents.

“We see a crisis in our youth community,” Norman said. “We see a crisis in our youth being involved in a lot of these behaviors out there.”

Violence prevention advocates have been working to defuse situations, mediate conflicts and distribute free gun locks.