Tragedy In Milwaukee

On the morning of Wednesday, February 26, 2020, the employees of the Molson Coors Company in Milwaukee got up thinking that it was an ordinary day. No one knew the shock that would later come that afternoon. No one knew the lives that would be lost. No one knew that something was being planned and plotted that afternoon.

An article by USA Today stated that “Anthony N. Ferrill, a 51-year-old, worked at the Molson Coors Company for over 17 years.” USA Today also stated that he was discriminated against because he was African American. At 2 pm, Ferrill brought a gun to work, killed 5 employees, and himself. Families are left devastated and shocked. CNN wrote that there were more than 1,000 people working in the building that day. When CNN interviewed Lt. Gov. Mandela Barnes, he said, that “It had been the 11^th mass shooting in the state since 2004.” Gov. Tony Evers ordered US flags to be lowered to half-staff. This was another worldwide tragedy, and these tragedies have to stop.

People think tragedies like Milwaukee’s will never happen to them. Yet they’ve happened in places like the Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, Virginia Tech, the Santa Clarita, California shooting, and so many more.

CNN reported in November of 2019, that there had been 45 school shootings in just 46 weeks. This doesn’t include companies and businesses.

Milwaukee’s shooting was one of the first shootings of 2020, but it certainly won’t be the last. The shooting in Milwaukee could’ve been prevented. While the shooter wasn’t acting suspicious, USA Today stated that he and a co-worker had a long feud that finally erupted. Since other co-workers knew about this, they should’ve professionally talked to their supervisor about it, or even Ferrill and the co-worker. The article also stated that co-workers were told by Ferrill that other co-workers may have come into his home and tampered with his equipment and supplies. Co-workers laughed at him and joked around, but they later stated that things got weird and that Ferrill was serious about the situation.

Now, families are left grieving at the loss of loved ones. The Molson Coors Company tweeted  last week that, “There are no words to express the deep sadness many of us are feeling right now. The most important thing is that we support and care for each other. We ask that everyone be respectful of how our colleagues in Milwaukee are feeling during this incredibly difficult time and do what you can to be supportive.” Many members of the council in Wisconsin commented on the tweet mourning the state’s great loss and tragedy.

Hours before the shooting, USA Today stated that Democratic Gov. Tony Evers called together lawmakers to promote taking away guns from people that may cause harm. However, State Senate Majority Leader, Scott Fitzgerald, stated that the gun laws wouldn’t change under a dominant Republican legislature.

Madeline Brown, a senior at Lafayette High School, vividly expressed her perspective on the shooting. When asked how she felt about the backstory of this shooting, she said, “It’s hard to say, there are clues from some of his mysterious behavior, but the coworkers probably just saw Ferrill’s argument with the other coworker as an adult argument that would be properly solved. However, he claimed that coworkers went into his home, and he was discriminated against while working at the company. I think when people realized that it was much more than that, someone should’ve taken action and addressed a supervisor. This may have partly triggered the shooting, and could’ve easily been prevented.” She went on to share her thoughts about Wisconsin’s decision right before the shooting to keep the gun laws the same, and what may happen to them, going forward. “The suggestion of a law being passed to take away guns from harmful people was a good one. Consequently, this would take away that person’s rights. This is a very controversial topic and in the end, this law should’ve been passed. As for the shooting later that day, they had no idea that it would happen. I know it was a sign, and Wisconsin needs to listen to this sign. Wisconsin needs to make the right decision for their state, whether that means passing the law or not.”

The future is coming, and we can start now and change security, behavior, and laws to prevent this, or we can sit back and watch the world unfold as it has been for the past 20 years.