Madison police identify suspect in State Street shooting
At least one person is injured after the shooting.
MADISON, Wis. (WMTV) - The Madison Police Department released the name of the 40-year-old man wanted in connection with Tuesday’s daytime shooting on State Street.
During a news conference held near the scene on Wednesday, Lamar Jefferson was identified as a suspect. Chief Shon Barnes noted Jefferson has no address in Madison and has ties in Milwaukee.
Jefferson is considered armed and dangerous, Barnes added, while urging anyone who sees Jefferson to call the police immediately.
Barnes did not release any more information regarding the identity of the suspect. An incident report released after the news conference Wednesday said the victim was a 29-year-old man. Investigators have determined Jefferson and the victim knew each other prior to the shooting and that it was a targeted incident.
Witnesses reported hearing multiple gunshots around 3:30 p.m. in the 100 block of State Street and officers were on the scene soon thereafter, Barnes explained. The officers immediately began performing life saving measures on the shooting victim who was then taken to the hospital, the chief continued. He remains at the hospital and is expected to survive.
Since 2020, State Street businesses endured COVID-19 Pandemic and protest shutdowns that impacted their sales. Clary’s Gourmet Popcorn Owner Kenneth Clary said Tuesday’s shooting is a sad incident.
”It sure doesn’t help. I think people have a feeling of not being safe downtown,” Clary said.
Clary said things improved over the summer of 2022 with the farmers market returning and other events bringing people back on the weekends, but it’s the weekdays he’s worried about. He said the emptiness creates opportunities for bad situations.
”I guess maybe more patrols would be helpful,” he said. “I just think we need more events down here to bring people down here to get the streets full of people and I think that would help take care of itself.”
“Holiday lights (and) crime scene tape are not a good match. Ever,” Barnes said Wednesday about the previous day’s scene where the yellow tape blocked off traffic along a State Street filled with seasonal decorations. The investigation forced that stretch of the road to close for several hours while MPD was on the scene. It was cleared nearly six hours after the shooting.
The suspect had fled immediately after the shooting, MPD reported Tuesday, and Barnes has asked anyone in the area who may have video to contact police.
Later in the night, a report the suspect was seen in the 500 block of State Street prompted a soft lockdown at the Kohl Center after the UW men’s basketball game against Wake Forest, Barnes said Wednesday. A graphic on the scoreboard monitor read, “Due to a Police Situation Outside The Kohl Center, We Are Asking All Guests to Remain in the Building Until Further Notice.”
UWPD has also released a statement confirming their decision to keep fans inside was a precaution, and that many fans exiting the Kohl Center at one time could impede on the investigation. An MPD spokesperson said around 11:40 p.m. that this tip ultimately proved to be false.
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