One dead, 14 injured in weekend shootings in Madison

One man is dead and 14 others were injured in three separate shooting incidents during what the Madison Police chief called “a very violent weekend.” 

No one is in custody in connection to any of the three incidents, Madison Police Chief Shon Barnes said. He said there is no indication that the shootings were connected.

Speaking to reporters Monday, Barnes said the most recent shooting occurred Sunday night at approximately 10:45 p.m. Approximately 10 people were gathered outdoors in a residential area on the city’s east side when someone drove by and began shooting. Someone on the street returned fire, and about 20 shell casings were recovered. 

One person had life-threatening injuries and is in critical condition. Another was wounded from the incident, where three vehicles were struck by bullets. 

Mayor Satya Rhodes-Conway said before this weekend, Madison had no reports of shots fired for five straight weeks. 

“That should be the norm in Madison,” Rhodes-Conway said. 

Earlier Sunday, 12 people were injured during a rooftop party at The Lux apartments. A police department spokesperson estimated about 250 people were in attendance. 

“We’ve learned since then that this was what we’re calling a sneak bash, meaning it was an unauthorized party in a private space,” Barnes said. 

Barnes said 10 victims suffered gunshot wounds or grazes, one was injured by broken glass, and another suffered a shoulder injury trying to escape the shooting. 

Many of the people who attended the party were high school age, Barnes said. Police have yet to identify who organized the event. 

“At this time, we will not be publicly identifying a suspect or a person of interest as we do not want to jeopardize any leads in this case,” Barnes said. No arrests have been made connected with the rooftop shooting. 

Madison police have responded to 453 calls for service at The Lux since 2016. Barnes said that number includes medical emergencies. He said the police department will meet with the property managers to discuss installing security cameras and other safety measures. 

On Friday night, a 27 year-old man was killed in what police believe was a targeted incident. Barnes said about 50 shell casings were found along the 1300 block of Williamson Street. 

Police have not yet released the name of the victim. 

“We know that there was a fight at the Crystal Corner Bar when people left the building. They began firing shots while our victim was walking down Williamson Street,” Barnes said. 

“Our violent crime unit is overseeing all of these investigations and we’ve asked every detective in our department to assist, including our gang neighborhood crime abatement team,” he said. 

Barnes pointed to data from the Small Arms Survey out of Switzerland, which estimates there are more than 393 million guns in the United States. 

“And Madison, quite frankly, as lovely as the city is, we’re not immune to that,” Barnes said. “We’re not special in that we have just as much access to guns as everyone else.” 

He said that in 2023 police collected more than 350 illegal guns off the street, in addition to citizens who voluntarily relinquished firearms to the department. 

Rhodes-Conway called on state lawmakers to do more to address gun violence. 

“The state Legislature’s refusal to prioritize gun violence prevention makes it very challenging for mayors across Wisconsin to protect our cities,” she said. 

“We all have to find other ways to resolve interpersonal conflicts that don’t end in someone dying.”