Milwaukee, Wisconsin: Girl, 4, Killed in Accidental Shooting Is Identified, Teen Brother Charged

A 4-year-old Milwaukee girl who was shot and killed by her 6-year-old brother on Saturday was identified on Monday as Jurnee Scales Walker, and prosecutors charged a third sibling, a 16-year-old boy, in connection with her death.

The Milwaukee County Medical Examiner's Office identified Jurnee on October 26, two days after the shooting on the 2700 block of North 53rd Street, on the city's northwest side. Milwaukee police said the 6-year-old obtained a gun inside the home and fired it at about 8:55 a.m. on October 24, striking his 4-year-old sister. She was pronounced dead at the scene. The medical examiner's office said the two younger children were siblings.

Charges filed Monday

Police arrested the children's 16-year-old brother after the shooting for possessing a firearm, and said criminal charges would be referred to the Milwaukee County District Attorney's Office. On Monday, prosecutors charged the teenager with neglecting a child, where the consequence is death, and with possession of a dangerous weapon.

At a hearing on Monday, Milwaukee County Court Commissioner Katryna Childs-Rhodes ruled that the teenager will remain in detention at least until his next hearing on October 30, when a judge could change or maintain the decision. The ruling went against the recommendation of the teenager's mother, his attorney and a county social worker, who had all asked that he be returned home during the court proceedings.

"I want my son to come home," the teenager's mother said during the hearing. "Everything that happened was an accident. ... I need him to grieve with me."

Childs-Rhodes said the charging document alleges that an unsecured gun had been played with inside the home before Saturday. Assistant District Attorney Gil Urfer said police recovered a second unsecured gun from the home during their investigation. "I want this child to go home and mourn with his family as well, but I also have to consider all the circumstances here," Childs-Rhodes said. "It's a very difficult decision for me to make. My heart breaks for his mom, my heart breaks for him." The Journal Sentinel said it had requested the charging document but had not yet received or reviewed it.

Family and neighbors

Family members told TMJ4 that Jurnee and her brother were playing a game of "cops and robbers" when the children got hold of the weapon. Her cousin, Amya Burton-Lewis, said the family believed the firearm had been stored securely and does not know how the children were able to access it. "I hate that this is how everybody has to know Jurnee," Burton-Lewis said. "She was so sweet. There was nobody like her."

Neighbor Rodney Mckinney, who saw the aftermath on Saturday, described officers leaving the home in tears. "It's just a tremendous sad day," he told TMJ4. "How can we prevent this from happening again and again and again?" About two dozen family members, neighbors and onlookers gathered on the block on Saturday afternoon.

A repeated warning in Milwaukee

After the shooting, Milwaukee police repeated the department's request that gun owners store firearms properly, secure them with a gun lock and keep them out of the reach of children. Gun locks are available free of charge throughout the city, including at all Milwaukee Fire Department stations and at Milwaukee Health Department health centers. The Journal Sentinel noted that accidental shootings involving unsecured guns have raised concern in Milwaukee in recent years, including a 2-year-old who shot themself with an unsecured gun in April and a 16-year-old who accidentally shot his best friend in January with a gun he believed was unloaded.