A road-rage chase through Menomonee Falls turned into a rolling shootout on Friday, with gunfire hitting a car and a nearby house and leaving one driver with a serious eye injury that police say is non-life-threatening.
What started as a clash between drivers escalated as the vehicles moved through village streets, according to police. Detectives are now working to piece together how a traffic beef ended with bullets flying along a residential stretch of Maple Road.
What police say happened
Menomonee Falls police told TMJ4 the confrontation began near County Line Road and Bancroft Drive before the vehicles headed south on Maple Road toward Christman Road.
According to officers, shots were fired from the vehicle that was being followed. Police say those rounds hit the pursuing car and also struck a nearby home. The driver following the other vehicle suffered what investigators described as a “significant non-life-threatening” eye injury from debris and was taken to a nearby hospital.
Not the first time
This is not the village’s first brush with road-rage gunfire.
In late April, Menomonee Falls officers responded to an exchange of shots at a Woodman’s gas station off Highway 145. The department later identified suspects and announced arrests in that case, according to a Menomonee Falls Police Department news release.
Local outlets have also reported on a 2017 road-rage shooting along Kaul Avenue that wounded a driver and led to criminal charges, adding to a troubling history of armed confrontations on area streets.
Investigation ongoing
Police told TMJ4 the investigation into the Maple Road shooting is active as detectives canvass the neighborhood and speak with witnesses.
As of now, the department has not released the names of anyone involved and has not announced any charges. Investigators say they are continuing to chase down leads and are asking the public for help.
How to help
Anyone who saw the chase or the shooting, or who may have dash-cam or door-cam footage from the area, is asked to contact Menomonee Falls police. The department lists its non-emergency line as 262-532-8700, and officials say any video or information shared could assist the ongoing inquiry.
