On a cold January evening in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, the life of 41-year-old Quinette Walters, a Black/African American female, was tragically cut short. On January 6, 2022, near 36th and Center, a domestic dispute escalated into a fatal act of violence. Walters was shot and killed, her death later ruled a homicide. The violence of that day did not end with her death, as her 14-year-old daughter was also shot but managed to escape the horrific scene.
The immediate aftermath of the shooting
saw a community in mourning and a family grappling with an immense loss. A vigil was held where friends and family gathered, leaving behind candles, teddy bears, and flowers in memory of a woman described as a loving mother with a big heart. It was revealed that Walters had been in an abusive relationship with the man who would be identified as her killer. Family members stated she had been planning to leave him, but tragically, it was too late.
The suspect in the shooting was quickly identified as Simone Hughes, Walter's boyfriend and the father of her wounded daughter. A manhunt ensued, and Hughes was charged with first-degree intentional homicide and attempted first-degree intentional homicide. According to the criminal complaint, the couple had been arguing about the end of their relationship when Hughes shot Walters on the sidewalk. He then turned the gun on their daughter as she tried to secure the home, shooting her before she jumped from a second-story window to escape.
In May of 2023, just over a year after the violent death of Quinette Walters, Simone Hughes pleaded guilty to the charges against him. His plea brought a legal conclusion to a case that highlighted the devastating impact of domestic violence, leaving a family and community to continue healing from the profound loss of a mother and the traumatic experience of her surviving child.
