'It's crazy': Neighbors say errant gunfire is a persistent problem in Milwaukee neighborhood where 2 young boys were struck

Two young boys, ages 8 and 9, were shot Monday night as they sat in a car that was driving through the 2600 block of West Concordia Avenue — the latest instance of errant gunfire that neighborhood residents said Tuesday is an ongoing problem.

Milwaukee police said the injuries to the boys were non-life-threatening and that they were being treated at a hospital. Though one of the boys needed surgery, both are in good health, according to WISN 12 News.

According to a release from police, someone fired multiple gunshots in the area about 8:35 p.m. Monday and struck the car as it moved along Concordia.

Police continue to search for a suspect.

Neighborhood residents said Tuesday collateral danger from gunfire is a persistent problem.

Catherine Perkins, 73, said she often hears the sounds of gunshots coming from the direction of North 28th and North 29th streets. Her house has been shot from errant gunfire three times in the past year. 

Doris Webb, 66, reported similarly "scary" experiences: her house has at least five bullet holes from nearby shootings. 

"You have to watch your surroundings when you're out here doing yard work," she said. "It's crazy."

Webb was preparing to go to bed Monday when she heard the gunshots that struck the children. Though she thought she heard four, police later informed her that 12 to 13 bullets had been fired. 

Most residents living near the intersection reported hearing anywhere between four and 10 gunshots, though most did not actually see the cars involved. No one appeared to know the victims and were surprised to learn that they were so young.

According to Webb, a car had been parked on the opposite side of the intersection for some time, "sitting there waiting for them," before its occupants opened fire on a car traveling down Concordia toward North 27th Street. While Webb claimed that the shooter's car was white, another neighbor, who wished to remain anonymous, asserted that it was gray-silver. 

Webb's son, Alton Armon, had parked his car outside his mother's house. It was struck by three wayward bullets during the shooting, shattering the driver's side window and cracking the windshield. Webb's father, Bobby West, was sitting in his Cadillac, also parked outside the house, and ducked when the shooting began.