Slightly Fewer Shots Fired In Madison This Year Compared To Last

The city of Madison has seen a slight decrease in the number of shootings this year compared to last year.

The police department reports they received 144 calls regarding shots fired from January through September, compared to 167 during the same period in 2017. That amounts to a 13.8 percent decrease.

In the month of September alone, shootings decreased by 50 percent compared to the same time-frame last year. But Madison Police Department public information officer Joel DeSpain points to the annual statistics as more indicative of the current situation.

He said while the police department is encouraged by the latest statistics, it remains concerned about gun violence. Madison has experienced an overall increase in the number of shots fired, particularly by young people, in the past few years, DeSpain said.

“The danger has not decreased,” he said. “Even though the (2018) number is down slightly.”

DeSpain partially contributes this to the widespread accessibility of guns, whether purchased online or obtained by theft.

“We’ve got a real concern with the number of weapons that are on the streets and the number of people who were firing them in very public areas,” he said. “We have bullets hitting, you know, residences where children are sleeping.”

In particular, DeSpain referenced several recent instance in which a passerby almost got hit.

“We’ve had a couple of very close calls where uninvolved, innocent people were nearly shot as we had young people firing guns in areas where people are driving or going to school, near businesses, near homes,” he said.

Incidents like last month’s shooting near La Follette High School demonstrate to DeSpain that gun violence remains a risk the police department must address.

“I don’t think we can arrest our way out of it,” he said. “We really need to change the mindset of some of these young people who, for whatever reason, think it’s OK to have a gun tucked into your pants and to shoot at people that you’re having an issue with.”

He said Madison police will continue working with community partners, such as local churches and the Boys and Girls Club, to reduce shootings.