‘The work don’t stop’: Minister shot in carjacking returns to referee youth basketball
Kevin Simmons was driving for Uber when his teenage passenger shot him and stole his car.
By Emily Pofahl
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MILWAUKEE (WISN) — A Milwaukee minister and community advocate shot six times during a carjacking in October 2023 is returning to refereeing youth basketball.
Teaching teens how to rebound is a big part of what the nonprofit Cream Skills Inc. does. It’s also personal, for volunteer referee Kevin Simmons.
On October 9, 2023, Simmons was driving for Uber and dropping off his 14-year-old passenger near 55th Street and Custer Avenue when according to police documents, the teen carjacked him.
“They pulled out a gun, put it right to my ear, and pulled the trigger,” Simmons said.
He was shot six times in the head, arm and abdomen and left in the street. The then-14-year-old shooter is now behind bars. Simmons said the carjacking was just days before the teen’s 15th birthday.
One month after the shooting, sitting at home recovering, Simmons told WISN 12 News he forgave the teen for shooting him.
“It still never crossed my mind to feel bad about that person,” Simmons said in a Nov. 9 interview.
Simmons is a longtime community advocate and assistant pastor at Miracle Temple Apostolic church. Three surgeries, dozens of doctor visits, and mental trauma put his work on hold for months.
“Now I can go up and down the floor a lot better,” Simmons said.
“To have him back healing and being healthy and whole again, back in the mix with us, that shows you the power of prayer,” said Mark Briggs, the lead director of Cream Skills Basketball.
Simmons said the shooting has reinforced how important his work in youth violence prevention is.
“I can’t settle for 99 and a half. I have to go for the 100. Because that one that’s out there could victimize somebody else,” Simmons said.
His recovery is not a layup by any means, but instead a hard-fought rebound that Milwaukee youth, and adults alike, might learn something from.
“The work don’t stop,” Simmons said.
Simmons said he is now facing more than $400,000 in medical bills, and doctors said he will need more surgery to repair nerve damage. Family and friends started a GoFundMe to help cover the costs.
Cream Skills Inc. has tryouts for their summer league Friday, March 14 at 5:30 p.m. at COA Goldin Center.
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