7 years after Oak Creek shooting, a call for change unanswered

MILWAUKEE —WISN, Matt Smith

On the seventh anniversary of the Sikh Temple shooting in Oak Creek, a vigil Monday evening remembered not only the six victims who were killed, but also the dozens of other victims who died in the past week in mass shootings in Dayton, Ohio, El Paso, Texas, and Gilroy, California.

“It just needs to stop,” said Tim Nelson, an Oak Creek resident who attended the vigil in Milwaukee. “There’s a lot of mental health, but it’s also easy to get weapons in this country.”

Rep. Gwen Moore (D-Wisconsin) and Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett were among those who spoke at the vigil organized by the group Forward Latino.

“We can end this divisive rhetoric that intends to divide this nation,” Barrett said.

In an interview with WISN 12 News, Oak Creek’s former mayor Steve Scaffidi said he has offered support to the mayors of El Paso and Dayton and insight into Oak Creek’s response to help guide them through the incredibly tough days.

“People always ask me why are you talking about it?” he said. “Because it’s still happening. We’re still seeing mass shootings. Why wouldn’t we talk about it?”

Scaffidi, who is now a local radio talk show host, said he is disappointed in the response from both Republicans and Democrats.

“Elected officials who we send to Washington, D.C. -- they need to step up,” he said. “And they’re not doing that. And it’s disappointing. And I’ve lost faith as a former elected official that they’re getting any closer to doing that.”