Police in Milwaukee are investigating the fatal shooting of Bernell Trammell, a longtime resident and visible supporter of President Donald Trump. This week, police released images of the man they believe shot Trammell.
Community members were shaken by the shooting of Trammell, 60, on July 23 in front of the East Wright Street storefront where he ran eXpressions Journal for several years, according to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. The businessman was known for connecting with strangers as he was spotted with handcrafted signs about politics and religion.
Though he campaigned for Trump’s reelection, he also firmly believed in the Black Lives Matter Movement, local blogger Adebisi Agoro told the newspaper. Agoro spoke with Trammell in his shop just hours before the shooting and documented the encounter in his blog, The God Degree.
“He’s like a Milwaukee character,” Agoro told the Journal Sentinel.
“He was a positive guy,” Agoro said. “I didn’t see him being mean or violent at all toward anybody while he was outside with his signs. He’d be on his bike. I’d see him pretty much daily.”
Police have not confirmed if they believe there was a motive in the Milwaukee community member’s killing. However, many friends and spectators say his death could have been tied to his support to Trump. Reggie Moore, director of Milwaukee’s Office of Violence Prevention, said he recently intervened in a dispute between Trammell and a young man. Moore thought the incident was related to a Trump sign that Trammell was carrying.
“He’s a Black elder who didn’t deserve to die the way that he did,” Moore said.
Earlier this week, the Milwaukee Police Department released photos of the man they believe fatally shot Trammell.
Witnesses said the suspect is a man in his 30s, about 6 feet tall and 200 pounds. The suspect was last seen riding a black bicycle and wearing a white-and-red baseball cap, a black face mask, a black-and-red long-sleeved shirt with white lettering on the front, light-colored pants, black socks and white shoes, police said.
The case and the suspect's motive are still under investigation, police said.
Police encouraged anyone with information about the suspect’s identity to contact Milwaukee police at 414-935-7360 or Milwaukee Crime Stoppers at 414-224-TIPS, where their tip can lead to a cash reward.
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