Madison Police Provide Update on Lux Apartment Shooting

Lina Portman4 weeks ago

14 2 minutes read

Madison police continue to search for a suspect in a weekend shooting at an unauthorized party at a rooftop apartment in the city's downtown that left 12 people injured.

The shooting took place at a rooftop party with more than 25 people in attendance at the Lux Apartment high-rise near the University of Wisconsin-Madison campus, and came as two other weekend shootings- end took place in the city. At a news conference Monday, Madison officials said they were still determining the motive and had not yet arrested anyone.

“We had a very violent weekend this weekend here in Madison. My promise is this: Your department uses every resource available to solve these shootings,” said Madison Police Chief Shon Barnes. “Violence is not acceptable.”

Barnes said they are not naming suspects or persons of interest to protect the investigation.

Ten of the people suffered gunshot wounds or abrasions, while another was injured by flying glass and another injured his shoulder as they fled, according to Barnes. None of the injuries are life-threatening, but two remain hospitalized Monday. The victims were aged 14 to 23 and some were high school students.

UW-Madison said no students were among the injured and there was “no known university affiliation to the incident at this time.”

Police said at a news conference Sunday that shell casings indicated two weapons were used.

Madison police were first called to a large party on the roof of the building on West Johnson Street, about two blocks from State Street, Barnes said.

When police arrived, dispatchers told them shots had been fired. Police said dozens of people were screaming and fleeing the building. Officers found a few hiding in a maintenance closet “in an effort to get to safety,” Barnes said during Sunday's news conference.

Barnes said the mass shooting was one of 453 calls for service made by local authorities to the building, but noted that some of them were medical and not necessarily criminal. He said the department was working with apartment management to update security measures in response to the shooting.

“Madison, as beautiful as the city is, we are not immune to this. We are not special in that we have as much access to weapons as everyone else,” the police chief said.

The apartment shooting occurred during a weekend when two other shootings stunned the Madison community.

One occurred in the 1300 block of Williamson Street around 1:30 a.m. Friday when a 27-year-old man was found dead from gunshot wounds, according to a police report. police incident. Authorities later discovered more than 40 shell casings at the scene.

The other occurred on Sunday around 10:46 p.m. when two people were injured, one in critical condition. A crime incident report says callers heard up to 20 gunshots and nearby vehicles were also damaged.

In all three shootings, police have yet to make an arrest or identify a motive. Barnes said they don't think the shootings are related.

During Monday's press conference, Madison Mayor Satya Rhodes-Conway criticized the weekend's gun violence.

“Guns are not a solution to conflict, and we must stop normalizing their use and accessibility,” she said. “The families affected by these events will never be the same again. Our community must come together to end the cycle of violence that perpetuates these types of crimes.

Rhodes-Conway said the weekend incidents were the first in five weeks.

Detectives from the Madison Police Department's Violent Crimes Unit speak with victims and witnesses and review digital evidence in all three cases, with assistance from the Neighborhood Gang and Crime Team of the department. Police are asking anyone with video of the incidents to contact the department. Anyone with information can also contact Madison Area Crime Stoppers at 608-266-6014 or online at p3tips.com.

Lina Portman

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