After at least nine people were killed this past weekend in Milwaukee, as TMJ4 news reports, with six people at just one home, one Wisconsin grandmother is trying to do something to slow the rise in violent crime in her community.
Vida Washington, a resident of Milwaukee, has been hanging up signs urging people in Milwaukee to end the violence.
"I'm just. I'm tired of it," Washington said.
Washington's signs are known around Milwaukee and she is known for promoting her work. She has been at it for the last 15 years, while urging people to "Think before you act," as she said.
"It was a number of everything that was happening. It was getting to my heart," Washington said.
A recent increase in violent crime in the city has motivated her to keep up the work.
Washington is looking for her fellow residents to step up their action towards stopping violent crime instead of just talking about it. "I said to myself, 'What are we doing here? What are we doing?' We keep saying, "stop the violence,' but we have to stop," she said.
AsTMJ4 News reports, Milwaukee saw a sharp spike in violent crime in January, as police reported 20 homicides this year. At the same time last year, that number was at 8.
Reggie Moore, a member of Violence Prevention at the Medical College of Wisconsin studies violent crime and says he has seen increases in cities across the United States.
"From 2016 to 2019 we had a four-year study decline of homicides in this city. So, we know we can make a difference on this issue, we just have to return to that momentum. So this isn't the time to give up, this is the time to double down," Moore said.
Washington urges others to think before they act saying, "One of our biggest problems in our society is we don't think anymore we just react to what is going on."
This story was originally from Rebecca Klopf of TMJ4 News in Milwaukee.
