In the early morning hours of June 22, 2014, the life of 19-year-old Kwata S. Shields, a Black/African American male, was tragically cut short. A house party on Milwaukee's south side, in the 2100 block of S. 20th Street, turned violent at approximately 1:50 a.m. when gunfire erupted. Shields was fatally shot in the incident. A second victim, a 16-year-old boy, was also struck by the gunfire and sustained serious injuries, though he was expected to survive.
Kwata Shields was a young man
who had faced challenges but was actively working to build a better future. He was a father to a young son and was remembered for the way his eyes would light up when he spoke of him. A graduate of Right Step, a military-style private voucher school, he had a near-perfect attendance record over five years and even stayed an extra year to improve his test scores. He was known as a natural leader who worked part-time at the school, helping to teach math to younger students. Despite some trouble with the law after graduation, he was working to resolve the issue with aspirations of enlisting in the military.
In the wake of the shooting, the Milwaukee Police Department launched an investigation, conducting interviews with witnesses to piece together the events that led to the violence and to identify potential suspects. However, the case proved difficult, and no immediate arrests were made. As of late 2014, the killing of Kwata Shields remained unsolved, leaving his family, including his grieving mother and girlfriend, and his community searching for answers and justice. Funeral services for Shields were held on July 3, 2014, at Monumental Missionary Baptist Church.
