Jimmari Hamza Wahkeeb Walton was an energetic, helpful, and talented young man, according to his mother. At 17 years old, he was a student at a transition high school within the Milwaukee Public Schools system. His life was cut short on a Saturday night, another young victim of the gun violence that troubled the city’s leaders and residents.
The shooting happened around 9:40 p.m. on Saturday, October 10, 2026, in Milwaukee’s Washington Park neighborhood.
Jimmari was near the intersection of 39th Street and Lisbon Avenue when he was struck by gunfire. When officers from the Milwaukee Police Department and paramedics arrived, they found Jimmari with a fatal gunshot wound. Despite their efforts, he was pronounced dead at the scene. His mother would later state her belief that the shooting was an accident.
The investigation into Jimmari's death was handled by the Milwaukee Police Department. In the immediate aftermath, detectives began processing the scene and interviewing potential witnesses. Their work led to a swift arrest: a 14-year-old male suspect was taken into custody in connection with the fatal shooting. Police did not immediately release the circumstances that led to the gunfire as their investigation continued.
The incident drew comments from neighbors and city officials, who expressed sorrow and frustration over the persistent violence affecting the city's youth. One resident who lived near the scene, Craig Griffin, described the neighborhood as generally quiet but plagued by gunshots after dark. "Whatever dreams and accomplishments or goals that (Walton) did have or that his family did have for him, all of that is just gone," he said. Another neighbor, Jashema Wallace, spoke of the need for greater parental responsibility.
Jimmari's death was also acknowledged by the superintendent of Milwaukee Public Schools, Dr. Brenda Cassellius. At a summit on gun violence held just days after the shooting, she described the loss of the transition high school student as "one loss too many." His death marked the fourth of an MPS student in that school year alone. The superintendent noted that while the number of students killed by gun violence had seen a decline from 23 in the 2024-2025 school year to 13 in the 2025-2026 year, every death was a crisis. "We are losing too many young people to gun violence," she stated, advocating for stricter gun laws and preventative measures.
As of the latest reports from October 2026, the case against the 14-year-old suspect was pending with the Milwaukee County District Attorney's Office. The investigation by the Milwaukee Police Department was ongoing. No further details about the suspect, the specific charges, or the progression of the case through the court system have been made public.
Authorities have asked that anyone with information about the shooting contact the Milwaukee Police Department at (414) 935-7360. To remain anonymous, individuals can contact Crime Stoppers at (414) 224-TIPS.
