Monte Mabra had already been doing anti-violence work for more than 20 years when his brother, LaTroy Harris, was shot and killed outside a Northwest Side bar in December.
As the Milwaukee Police Department continues the search for his killer, Mabra created the “I Will Not Die to Gun Violence: The LaTroy Harris Initiative.”
He said he created the program to give meaning to his brother’s death.
Central to the initiative is a focus on the role interpersonal dynamics play in gun violence, especially street codes revolving around revenge.
“We have to stop that cycle of thinking – that it’s all right to give into revenge, or it’s all right to kill someone because you can’t beat them up, or they call you out by name, or because they talk to your girlfriend,” Mabra said. “We want to get to that distortion and challenge it.”
LaTroy and Antonio
On Dec. 15, 2025, Harris was shot and killed outside Dee’s Elegance Bar, 7420 W. Villard Ave.
Milwaukee County prosecutors charged Antonio D. Brown, 39, with first-degree intentional homicide in connection with that shooting, according to court records.
A years-long beef between Harris and Brown preceded his murder, Mabra said.
A warrant was issued Dec. 30 for Brown’s arrest. He remains at large.
‘I wanted revenge’
Mabra said he had to pause and think after learning of his brother’s death.
“I once was one of those guys that believed in the street code. I wanted revenge,” Mabra said. “However, my training, my history helped me to challenge those irrational beliefs.”
Mabra said Harris was 14 years old when he was adopted into the family. Mabra was in his 30s. He said they viewed each other simply as brothers.
They lived in different parts of Milwaukee but were both exposed to the city’s street and gang culture. In that environment, Mabra said, violence often carried an expectation of retaliation – if someone hurts you, you have to hurt them.
Benjamin Huntington, a lifelong Milwaukee resident, said that remains the case.
The retaliation mindset ensnares a lot of people – and families – he said.
Huntington met Mabra while attending a court-ordered domestic violence workshop facilitated by Mabra.
“It’s just a domino effect,” Huntington said. “Revenge goes back and forth.”
Milwaukee’s homicide rate has historically been higher than the national average.
MPD data show homicides increased from 132 in 2024 to 141 in 2025 – a 7% rise.
Wendel Hruska, executive director of Project RETURN, a nonprofit that supports people leaving incarceration, sees a clear connection between violence and exposure to trauma.
Hruska, who has known Mabra for years, said the vast majority of their clients have experienced trauma related to violence at some point in their life.
“Too many of our clients operate in kind of a survival mode where it’s about just being able to get through one day to the next, versus thinking about stability and structure and success down the road,” Hruska said.
Seeing the impact of gun violence
Instead of giving in to his initial desire for revenge, Mabra began talking to friends and fellow community organizers about how to bring about change in Milwaukee.
Over time, the conversations developed into a curriculum for a 10-week course, with two sessions each week.
Mabra envisions local leaders, departments and politicians taking part, adding their unique perspective on the problems related to – and possible solutions for – gun violence. Sessions include visits from MPD’s homicide unit, Milwaukee Fire Department paramedics and emergency room doctors and nurses.
He’s also working to connect with the Milwaukee County District Attorney’s Office and the Wisconsin Department of Corrections.
The district attorney’s office said it will continue monitoring Mabra’s efforts as they move forward in their development.
“The key question about our ability to collaborate with them as part of the Milwaukee Early Intervention Program is their ability to underwrite the costs of the programs so that participants are not charged other than a nominal fee (like we do with MATC),” Jeffrey Altenburg, chief deputy district attorney, told NNS in an email.
The sessions are meant to be interactive and would include different mock sessions showing how participants’ lives might unfold.
One session is a mock funeral, and another takes place in a mock courtroom where participants are handcuffed, placed on a bus and driven to a correctional facility.
Altogether, the sessions explore loss, emotion, family, trauma and accountability.
“It’s all to see what they’ve done and the impact that it has had on others – and to see what’s actually going to happen to them. The consequences,” Mabra said.
Huntington believes these sorts of explorations can have an impact on the quality of life that is possible in Milwaukee.
“With the revenge thing – like, what does it solve?” Huntington asked. “That’s somebody’s dad, somebody’s brother, somebody’s son.”
How you can help
An MPD spokesperson said the department continues to seek Brown in relation to the murder of Harris. Anyone with information can contact Milwaukee police at 414-935-7360.
Those who wish to remain anonymous can contact Milwaukee Crime Stoppers at 414-224-8477. Crime Stoppers is offering a reward for information leading to Brown’s arrest.
People can reach out to Mabra to learn more about “I Will Not Die to Gun Violence: The LaTroy Harris Initiative,” at 414-210-9953.
Jonathan Aguilar is a visual journalist at Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service who is supported through a partnership between CatchLight Local and Report for America.
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