Torrel Coleman Death, Victim of Milwaukee’s Mother’s Day Fire”

Torrel Coleman Death, Obituary Milwaukee, WI – In the early hours of Mother’s Day, a tragic fire tore through a four-story apartment complex on the city’s north side. Among the four people who lost their lives was Torrel Coleman, a man remembered by family, neighbors, and friends as warm-hearted, loyal, and full of ambition. As smoke engulfed the building and flames surged through the hallways, residents jumped from windows in desperation. Amid the chaos, Coleman’s life was tragically cut short.

Witnesses say the fire struck without warning shortly before 8 a.m. Sunday morning. With no sprinkler system to hold back the flames, the fire grew quickly, forcing nearly 30 residents to flee through windows and balconies. Ladder trucks hoisted survivors down from upper floors while firefighters, battling heat and smoke, crawled on hands and knees to rescue others.

But for Torrel, it was too late.

“He had his whole life ahead of him,” said Monique Johnson, a neighbor who often ran into Coleman walking his dog in the courtyard. “He always smiled, always said hello. Just a good soul.”

Torrel, 29, had moved into the building two years ago, attracted by its central location and affordability. He had recently started taking online classes, hoping to become a youth counselor—something he was deeply passionate about after overcoming personal struggles in his younger years.

“He wanted to give back, to help kids make better choices than he had,” said his cousin, DeAndre Willis. “He turned his life around. That fire stole his second chance.”

Family members said they had planned to meet for a Mother’s Day brunch. When Torrel didn’t show up, they feared the worst. Later that afternoon, authorities confirmed he was among the deceased.

The building, constructed in 1968, was not equipped with sprinklers—a fact Fire Chief Aaron Lipski emphasized in a Sunday press conference. “If we had sprinklers in the building, we would have stopped the fire very, very small,” Lipski said. “We would not have had people jumping out of windows.”

For Coleman’s family, that reality is almost too much to bear. “He deserved better,” said his mother through tears. “No one should die like that. Especially not on a day meant to celebrate family.”

Torrel Coleman leaves behind two sisters, his mother, a niece he adored, and a community that is now mourning not just a tragic fire, but a life of promise lost far too soon.