UPDATE 5/15/25 8 PM — Downtown Milwaukee is in the clear after a temporary lockdown at City Hall and an evacuation of the Zeidler Municipal Building Thursday afternoon.
A statement from Milwaukee Police Department said there is no indication that a shooting or shots fired incident took place.
MPD responded to the Zeidler Municipal Building on 841 N. Broadway just after 3 p.m. for a shots fired complaint. Law enforcement advised employees to shelter in place and searched the buildings, but did not find any evidence of a shooting.
Mayor Cavalier Johnson said a slammed door may have been confused for gunfire.
“Employees did exactly what they’re supposed to do. They heard something and they said something,” Mayor Johnson told reporters.
Alderman Lamont Westmoreland released a statement criticizing the lack of security at the City Hall complex:
While the exact details surrounding today’s lockdown at the Zeidler Municipal Building and City Hall are still unclear, one thing is certain – the current security plan, or lack thereof, is unacceptable. It’s trash.
The bottom line is this: It is far too easy for anyone to walk into either of these buildings with their weapon of choice.
As a member of the Public Safety and Health Committee, this is absolutely a conversation I intend to bring to the table. The safety of every employee, elected official, and visitor in these buildings must be the top priority.
Just a mile away, the Milwaukee County Courthouse sets the standard for what effective security looks and feels like. We should at the bare minimum be meeting, and in my opinion exceeding, that level of protection at City Hall.
I expect the conversation will include talk of financial limitations. But let’s be real – preventing tragedy or injury is priceless. City Hall may be “The People’s House,” but it’s not the 1800s. It’s time to move into 2025 and take real action to ensure everyone who steps into these buildings is unquestionably safe.
No injuries were reported and the shelter in place order was lifted less than an hour after it was issued. Milwaukee Police are still investigating.
MILWAUKEE — An active shooter situation at the Zeidler Municipal Building unfolded Thursday afternoon.
Employees are slowly being released from the building after reports of shots fired on the fourth floor around 3 p.m. on May 15.
Alderman Peter Burgelis told Wisconsin’s Afternoon News that City Hall remains on lockdown with a shelter in place order as of 4:30 p.m.
Unlike the Milwaukee County Courthouse complex, Zeidler Municipal Building and City Hall are open to the public without security at the door.
“We have security and MPD in the building at all times, and cameras throughout the complex,” Alderman Burgelis told WTMJ.
A heavy police presence remains in the area of Water St. and Kilbourne Ave.
Up to 1,000 government employees work inside the 10-story municipal building at one time.
This is a developing story. We’ll bring you updates as more details become available.
