In the late hours of a Monday evening in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, 59-year-old Gloria E. Zuniga, a Hispanic female, was resting in her home on South 26th Street. On November 18, 2013, a barrage of bullets shattered the peace of the neighborhood, with at least 27 shots fired into her residence. Gloria was struck by the gunfire and tragically lost her life as she slept. The hail of bullets was so intense that it left more than 25 holes in her bedroom wall.
At the time of the incident, other adults were present in the home but were thankfully unharmed.
The preliminary investigation by the Milwaukee police suggested that the shooting was related to an ongoing gang dispute. It is believed that while Gloria E. Zuniga was not the specific target of the violent act, her house was intentionally targeted by the assailant or assailants. In the immediate aftermath of the shooting, law enforcement had not taken any suspects into custody, and the investigation into the senseless act of violence was ongoing. The incident marked the 93rd homicide in Milwaukee in 2013, a grim statistic that surpassed the total for the entire previous year.
Gloria's death sent ripples of grief through her family and the local community. She was remembered as a loving mother to her two daughters and a doting grandmother to her five grandchildren. Her family, devastated by the sudden and violent loss, recalled her warm smile and the positive impact she had on those around her. A local alderman, who lived just two blocks from the scene, expressed the palpable tension in the neighborhood following the shooting, highlighting the community's frustration and fear in the face of escalating violence. Her granddaughter lamented that Gloria had moved to the south side of the city believing it to be a safer area.
