http://www.620wtmj.com/news/local/19565144.html
One of the men who ran security for RiverSplash is naming names of the gangs that caused the fights leading to a shooting at the festival.
"The initiators were the Vice Lords, and the Gangster Disciples were the ones that retaliated," claims Pablo Velazquez.
He says he and his security staff on Old World Third Street saw obvious signs that a gang fight was about to go down during RiverSplash.
"Anyone who was there would have noticed a group of five or six individuals wearing red and black, red t-shirts and black pants. Those are the Vice Lords. You would notice a lot of baby blue and black, or baby blue and white. Those were the Gangster Disciples.
"They started as early as 9:00 p.m., pushing and shoving and displaying gang signals.
"Then the chairs started going back and forth. They were tossing tables and whatever they could find.
"Shortly after, the shots rang out."
An 18-year-old man was shot in the foot in the latter part of the street fights.
During his interview with Newsradio 620 WTMJ's Charlie Sykes, Velazquez did not state that he saw a gang member commit the shooting.
But he states that his security staff, and Milwaukee police, did what they could to diffuse things in the open, ungated atmosphere of the festival.
"We would escort them off of a location, but they would re-enter at another location."
Parents, Not Police, To Blame For Not Stopping Gangs
He does not blame Milwaukee police for the influx of gang violence in the area.
"The police are doing a great job in focusing (on stopping gangs), but the community has to get involved," states Velazquez. "Parents have to get involved."
"I noticed at 7 Mile Fair that an eight-year-old, grabbing an AirSoft firearm, was concealing this BB gun and acting like he was robbing someone and the family thought it was cute.
"That stunned me."
One of the men who ran security for RiverSplash is naming names of the gangs that caused the fights leading to a shooting at the festival.
"The initiators were the Vice Lords, and the Gangster Disciples were the ones that retaliated," claims Pablo Velazquez.
He says he and his security staff on Old World Third Street saw obvious signs that a gang fight was about to go down during RiverSplash.
"Anyone who was there would have noticed a group of five or six individuals wearing red and black, red t-shirts and black pants. Those are the Vice Lords. You would notice a lot of baby blue and black, or baby blue and white. Those were the Gangster Disciples.
"They started as early as 9:00 p.m., pushing and shoving and displaying gang signals.
"Then the chairs started going back and forth. They were tossing tables and whatever they could find.
"Shortly after, the shots rang out."
An 18-year-old man was shot in the foot in the latter part of the street fights.
During his interview with Newsradio 620 WTMJ's Charlie Sykes, Velazquez did not state that he saw a gang member commit the shooting.
But he states that his security staff, and Milwaukee police, did what they could to diffuse things in the open, ungated atmosphere of the festival.
"We would escort them off of a location, but they would re-enter at another location."
Parents, Not Police, To Blame For Not Stopping Gangs
He does not blame Milwaukee police for the influx of gang violence in the area.
"The police are doing a great job in focusing (on stopping gangs), but the community has to get involved," states Velazquez. "Parents have to get involved."
"I noticed at 7 Mile Fair that an eight-year-old, grabbing an AirSoft firearm, was concealing this BB gun and acting like he was robbing someone and the family thought it was cute.
"That stunned me."