Message From Mayor Rhodes-Conway on Recent Incidents of Gun Violence

“An otherwise beautiful weekend in Madison was marred by three unacceptable acts of gun violence in public spaces. I’m particularly disturbed by the number of young people involved in these incidents. As a community, we must refuse to become complacent with any loss of life or injury needlessly inflicted within our city.

I want to thank the Madison Police and Fire Departments for their service this weekend, as well Police Chief Shon Barnes, Fire Chief Chris Carbon, and the Violence Prevention Unit. Our public safety employees and first responders acted rapidly and professionally.

On Friday night, a 27-year-old man’s life was tragically cut short after being shot in what police believe is a targeted incident, when someone responded to an interpersonal conflict by pulling out a gun. On Sunday morning someone chose to bring a gun to a party and use it, resulting in at least 10 people being shot and wounded. Again last night, two more people were shot and wounded because someone chose to use a gun.

Guns are not a solution to conflict, and we must stop normalizing their use and accessibility.

The families impacted by these events will never be the same. Our community needs to stop the cycle of violence that perpetuates these types of crimes. The Madison Police Department is actively investigating the incidents that occurred this weekend and will be updating the public as more details emerge.

This year, Madison has had five weeks with no reports of shots fired. That needs to be the norm. This is a moment to refocus our efforts on ensuring the circumstances that lead to gun violence don’t happen in the first place. It shouldn’t be easier to buy a gun than cast a ballot.  

Our state lawmakers need to put aside partisan politics and enact commonsense gun safety measures that are supported by an overwhelming number of Wisconsinites. The Legislature’s decade of inaction is irresponsible and ignores pleas from communities around the state to keep our residents safe. The state legislature's refusal to prioritize gun violence prevention makes it very challenging for Wisconsin Mayors to protect our cities. We need them to help us keep our communities safe.

In the meantime, we need anyone with information to contact Madison Area Crime Stoppers at 608-266-6014 or online at p3tips.com. Information may be shared anonymously.” 

Note: This article was updated to clarify the number of weeks with no incidents of shots fired and to include video of the press conference with Police Chief Shon Barnes and Mayor Satya Rhodes-Conway.