Change often comes in unexpected ways.
In Milwaukee, one man turned his tragic loss into what he hopes is a life-saving program.
Monte Mabra, of Milwaukee, is pioneering one of the only gun violence curriculums in the city focused on emotional awareness and conflict resolution in honor of his brother who died in December.
His brother, 48-year-old Latroy Harris, was fatally shot on Dec. 15, 2025, in a bar by a man he’d known for years. Antonio Brown, 39, was charged with homicide in April for Harris’ murder. His jury trial is set for November.
Mabra said when he first heard his brother was dead “[he] wanted to act out.”
Instead, he is channeling his brother’s death into The Latroy Harris Initiative, “I Will Not Die to Gun Violence,” a 10-week curriculum that teaches prevention and awareness to people involved in or impacted by gun violence.
“I wanted to do something that would keep the spirit and his name alive,” Mabra told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. “And try to save some lives at the same time.”
Mabra said his brother was trying to turn his life around but gun violence ended his life before he had the chance.
Born in Milwaukee, Mabra is a community activist who has organized similar initiatives related to anti-violence, including his “Voice of a Fatherless Child” organization meant to bring awareness to domestic violence. He’s worked in domestic violence counseling for 10 years.
One aspect of his new program is undoing the unspoken code of the streets, Mabra said.
Mabra said he was once part of a gang that originated in Chicago, but his perspective is different now. He wants to help young people understand social conditioning, allowing them to unlearn the “bad habits” and street codes they grew up with.
“I was once a product of the streets and I lived by those street codes,” Mabra said, adding that he grew up believing, “if someone does something you, don’t snitch, but get your revenge.”
Within five months of his brother’s death, Mabra had the program launched, with its first graduating class of 10 completing the curriculum at the end of May.
Some who completed the program were court-ordered by a judge to attend. Others found the initiative through social media.
Lashawnti Martin, 21, was among the first class of graduates. She said her mom found the group on Facebook, and given her experience with violence in her neighborhood, Martin said she wanted to see what the program had to offer.
“I haven’t heard of a group that had a gun curriculum,” Martin said. “All of the groups that I’ve heard of, anger management, different things, didn’t specifically tailor to what I was going through.”
Mabra said there are a lot of different curriculums surrounding gun violence, but none of them use simulation to teach the emotional impact of gun violence.
Students go through weeks of learning about family influence, emotions, exposure to consequences and accountability, all culminating with a mock funeral in week nine.
Mabra said the group planned arrangements, with the mock funeral was held on May 24 at Ried’s New Golden Gate Funeral Home.
During the last week of the program the students participate in a mock sentencing. One group is the victim and the other are victimizers. The goal is to teach students the impact of gun violence in the community, putting them in different perspectives, Mabra said.
Like Martin, Dante Cross was among the program’s first graduating class. Cross also joined out of interest, saying that he now understands loss and that actions come with consequences.
“People aren’t born violent. Violence is learned,” Cross said. “[Monte] is able to meet each individual where they’re at and bring the curriculum to them. It’s not so much textbook.”
After completing the first group on May 29, Mabra has received positive feedback from students and community. He wants to expand the curriculum to different states, mentioning interest in Illinois and Arkansas.
The group is at the beginning of its second 10-week curriculum. Recent graduates are mentors and Mabra is their leader.
Mabra said his brother’s death almost made him revert to the street codes he was accustomed to. Instead, he has channeled his emotions into a turning point.
“It’s giving me the drive to go harder and be part of the solution instead of the problem,” Mabra said.
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Planning a funeral and staging jury trial part of new anti-gun violence program
Reporting by Shane Colpoys, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Shane Colpoys, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel | USA TODAY Network
