A Milwaukee family is grieving the devastating loss of 21-year-old William Brooks, affectionately known as “Will,” who was tragically shot and killed Thursday night near North 39th Street and West Capitol Drive. The shooting occurred around 7 p.m., leaving a young father’s dreams — and an entire family’s joy — shattered in an instant.
According to the Milwaukee Police Department, the shooter fired from inside a car, striking Brooks outside of a local auto repair shop. Paramedics and officers rushed to the scene, but Will’s life could not be saved. As of now, investigators are searching for an unknown suspect, and no arrests have been made.
For Will’s mother, Shirley Ragland, the news was unbearable. She arrived at the scene just moments after learning what had happened.
“It seems as though it was like the wrong place at the wrong time,” Ragland said through tears. “I know it’s true, but I don’t want to believe it.”
Shirley described her son as a fun-loving, caring, and outgoing young man who could light up any room. “He wants to talk to everybody and laugh with everybody,” she shared. “Just to know him is to love him.”
Will was one of seven siblings, a tight-knit family that now feels incomplete. His brother, Joshua Brooks, shared how deeply Will cared for his loved ones — often stepping into a protective, almost fatherly role.
“He always looked out for me. He really took care of me like a father figure,” Joshua said.
In a heartbreaking twist, Joshua had recently undergone a long-awaited liver transplant, and Will had been checking in on him at the hospital.
“To finally get it changed and for this to happen, it just doesn’t feel real,” Joshua said quietly.
Family members remember Will not only for his big heart but also for his passion for basketball, cars, and fashion. He was known for his creativity, his ambition, and his bright smile — a young man full of potential whose life revolved around family and love.
Most of all, Will was a devoted fiancé and proud new father. His relatives say he was overjoyed to welcome his baby daughter earlier this year. The thought that she will now grow up without her father weighs heavily on the entire family.
Will’s grandmother, Agnes Boone, voiced what many in the community are feeling — a deep frustration and sorrow over the violence claiming too many young lives in Milwaukee.
“It’s not a game, it’s real life,” she said. “You need to put the gun down and learn how to talk.”
As the Brooks family prepares to hold a memorial service in Will’s honor, they are pleading for justice — and for peace. They urge anyone with information about the shooting to come forward and help bring closure to a grieving mother, siblings, and daughter left behind.
The Milwaukee Police Department is asking anyone with information to contact them at (414) 935-7360 or call Crime Stoppers at (414) 224-TIPS. Anonymous tips that lead to an arrest may be eligible for a cash reward.
For Shirley Ragland and her family, the pain is immeasurable, but so is the love they hold for Will. “He was my baby,” she said. “He didn’t deserve this. None of them do.”
As the community mourns, one message echoes above all: enough is enough.