TODAY'S TMJ4

New Clues in 4-Year Old's Death 5/15

By Ty Milburn and Melissa McCrady

MILWAUKEE - There is new information in the investigation into the shooting death of 4-year-old Jasmine Owens.

The drive-by shooting took place on the street near Jasmine's home in the 2800 block of N. 29th St. Monday.

Milwaukee police recovered the vehicle used in the shooting, but they're still looking for the shooter.

A stolen, burned out Jeep Cherokee was found Wednesday on N. 12th St. between North Avenue and Meinecke. Click the slideshow icon for photos of the burned vehicle, courtesy Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.

Now, a $10,000 reward is being offered by Dean Foods to find Jasmine’s killer.

“This person or persons obviously have no regard for human life,” Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett said at a press conference Thursday. “The person who struck this girl could be in your neighborhood next.”

A 26-year-old man shot with Jasmine is still not cooperating with police, and the district attorney may seek to file obstruction charges. He was shot in the leg during the same incident and is in police custody. Police believe the 26-year-old was the intended target of the SUV full of men.

Jasmine's family called her "Juicy" because she loved juice and Popsicles. Jasmine was shot dead while she was jumping rope with her cousins.

One woman said she was standing near the little girl when shots rang out. The woman thought it was firecrackers until someone yelled, "Run!"

The woman said she ran around the back of a house. When she came back, she said the girl was on the ground bleeding.

"I want my baby back," Alicia Owens, the victim's mother, sobbed Tuesday morning. "Whoever killed my baby, please turn himself in. My baby... my baby was only 4-years-old. She didn't do nothing to nobody.

Alicia Owens was not home at the time of the shooting, but said her daughter was outside, playing care free, with lots of relatives around watching her.

"Her aunties, her grandmama, everybody was sitting here on the porch," she said. "She was out here playing, her little cousins and them, she was out here playing. She loved outside. She loved jumping rope... I just bought her a rope yesterday, she was out here jumping rope."

Watch heart-wrenching video of Alicia Owens to see the effect a senseless shooting can have on a mother.

Police did not initially get a good description of the vehicle that the shots came from. Witnesses said a dark blue or black SUV fled north on 29th St. after the shooting.

Alicia Owens said tearfully that she believes someone must have a good description of the vehicle and suspect or suspects that killed her daughter because so many people were around at the time.

Watch web-exclusive scene video

Police at Murder Scene "There's not a whole lot you can do about drive throughs," said frustrated neighbor Janet Trigs. "Just got to be vigilant, know your neighborhood... have a representative from the community. Know your police.. and you're just a phone call away."

Trigs said if anything good can come of the shooting; it's that police will now patrol the area more heavily.

"Hopefully, out of this here, I feel now I've got the safest neighborhood on the block 'cause police (are) going to keep it hot for awhile," she said.

Jasmine's murder came a few hours before Milwaukee Police Chief Nan Hegerty announced her "Neighborhood Safety Initiative."

Starting Sunday, May 20, Milwaukee police officers will place an unspecified number of uniformed officers in the city's most violent neighborhoods until Sept. 8.

Friends of Jasmine Owens are happy with extra police patrol, but would rather see money and time spent on getting guns off our streets. But they say it's too late to save Jasmine's life.

"She didn't come back to me! She didn't come back to me..." Alicia Owens sobbed while hugging a family friend.

Two funds have been set up for Jasmine Owens at:

Legacy Bank
2102 W. Fond du Lac Ave.
Milwaukee, WI 53206
(414) 343-6900

and

Educators Credit Union
7025 W. Appleton Ave.
Milwaukee, WI 53216
(414) 535-4000
Or any Educators Credit Union location.