August Was Milwaukee’s Deadliest Month In 25 Years

August was Milwaukee’s deadliest month in 25 years, with 24 people killed.

One of the deadliest days of the month, Aug. 13, was overlooked by the media as people focused on the violent unrest following the fatal police shooting of 23-year-old Sylville Smith, Milwaukee Police Chief Ed Flynn said.

“Twenty-four people lost their lives in violent crimes,” Flynn said. “Five people were murdered the day of the riots. That was lost in the news.”

Milwaukee’s gun violence problem contributed to the bulk of the month’s murders, Flynn said, and the problem will only persist until there is tougher legislation.

“When you’ve committed the crime, if there is no significant sanction, there is no lesson learned. And the victims are entire communities,” Flynn said.

The police chief said people shouldn’t be more afraid of dying in a shootout than they are of getting probation if they’re caught with a gun.

So far in 2016, police have seized 1,600 guns, 211 of which were in August.