Memorial for Spa Victim to Highlight Domestic Violence Issues

A memorial was held Sunday for one of the victims of last month’s beauty spa shootings in Brookfield. Family members and advocates for victims continue to look for ways to reduce domestic violence.

Zina Daniel and two other women died when Daniel’s husband opened fire at the Brookfield spa. Zina’s brother, Elvin Daniel took part in the Sunday memorial service for his sister. He said Zina was a wonderful person, “She loved serving other people. Everything for everybody.” Daniel says he’s been thinking about ways to reduce the risk of domestic violence. He says people with a restraining order against them, as Zina’s husband had, should not be able to sidestep federal law and make a private gun purchase, “I am a gun owner, but at certain time certain people should not be able to have a gun.”

Carmen Pitre of Milwaukee’s Sojourner Family Peace Center says the path to stronger gun laws isn’t clear, “This is not a political issue. I don’t know.”

Pitre says there needs to be a sustained community conversation, in the legislature, courts and in people’s homes, to head off violent behavior such as what happened October 21 in Brookfield.