There’s good news to report after an abduction gained nationwide attention from concerned citizens.
A 7-year-old boy who was at the center of a statewide Amber Alert in Wisconsin has been found safe, bringing a wave of relief to his family and community. According to FOX6 News, Jamal White was abducted at gunpoint Friday evening near 61st and Hustis in Milwaukee, triggering a massive search that ended with his safe return on Saturday.
The Milwaukee Police Department’s Sensitive Crimes Division confirmed to the outlet that the Amber Alert for Jamal was officially canceled once he was found. The incident shook the city, especially because of the disturbing nature of his abduction, right outside his own home.
Suspect Arrested, Motive Still Unclear
FOX6 reports that police have arrested a 25-year-old man in connection with Jamal’s disappearance. Charges are expected to be referred to the Milwaukee County District Attorney’s Office, though authorities have not yet released the suspect’s name or details about the charges.
The motive behind the abduction remains a mystery. Police said Jamal was taken and placed into a white Jeep Renegade with an unknown license plate. The suspect was described as a Black male wearing a black hooded sweatshirt and a black face mask.
Almost 24 hours after Jamal was reported critically missing, he was found near 39th and Lloyd. What exactly happened in those missing hours — and how he ended up at that location — has yet to be disclosed.
‘We Haven’t Been Able to Eat or Sleep’
For the boy’s family, the emotional toll has been overwhelming.
“We haven’t been able to eat, we haven’t been able to sleep. We’ve been crying off and on,” said Nikki Herrington, Jamal’s cousin, in an interview with FOX6. She described the family’s sheer panic as they searched for answers overnight.
That fear turned into joyful tears as family members and neighbors celebrated Jamal’s safe return on Saturday. Videos from the scene showed a group of community members cheering, hugging, and breaking down in relief outside the area where Jamal was recovered.
“It’s a lot. I almost had an anxiety attack, my heart’s still racing,” said Raven Jackson, another cousin. “He looked like he was scared, but he was OK. It looked like he was happy to see us.”
According to family members, community support played a major role in locating the child. In Fox 6, the family says widespread sharing of Jamal’s photo and story online helped direct their attention to the area near 39th and Lloyd, where he was ultimately found.
“He’s home, he’s safe and whatever happened, we’re glad that he’s here and he’s alive. Because it’s very rare that you get an outcome like this,” Herrington told Fox 6.
As the public pieced together the timeline, FOX6 News also obtained doorbell camera video that may have captured the moment Jamal was abducted. In the footage, a child matching Jamal’s description is seen riding a bicycle. A white SUV, believed to be the suspect’s vehicle, appears and turns around, heading in the child’s direction. Shortly after, screams are heard off-camera.
While Jamal’s family believes the child in the video is him, Milwaukee police have not officially confirmed the video’s content.
Still So Many Questions
As of now, there are more questions than answers. What was the motive? How did Jamal escape — or was he released? Why was he targeted? And will the 25-year-old suspect face kidnapping charges?
What is clear is that a young boy is alive, thanks to a rapid police response, a vigilant community, and a family who refused to give up hope. Milwaukee got the rarest kind of ending in these situations — a miracle.