In the early evening of February 20, 2019, Johnny Rivera, a 36-year-old male, had just finished helping his family unload groceries at a home near 23rd and Maple in Milwaukee. He was sitting on the porch with another man when a dark-colored car approached. Suddenly, shots were fired from the vehicle in what his family described as a drive-by shooting.
One of the bullets struck Johnny in the head, and he was fatally wounded.
The unexpected violence of the act sent shockwaves through his family and the community. His mother, who had moved to Milwaukee from the Bronx years earlier seeking a safer life for her son, was left devastated by the tragic loss.
In the days following the shooting, loved ones gathered for a vigil to remember Johnny, calling for an end to gun violence in the city. Friends and family described him as a beloved individual who was simply in the wrong place at the wrong time. As of the latest available information, the Milwaukee police are still searching for the person or persons responsible for Johnny Rivera's death. No arrests have been made, and the investigation remains ongoing.
