A 19-year-old man was shot early Sunday morning outside an apartment building on Madison's North Side after an argument escalated and someone walked up to his parked car and opened fire. The victim was privately driven to a local hospital with a gunshot wound that is not considered life-threatening, and as of Monday afternoon, no suspects had been arrested.
According to WMTV 15 News, the man had argued with another person before that individual approached his car and fired multiple shots into it. Multiple callers contacted the Madison Police Department around 6:30 a.m. Sunday to report gunshots coming from the 500 block of Northport Drive, where the victim had been parked outside an apartment building. Detectives with MPD's Violent Crime Unit believe the shooting was a targeted attack, per the station's report.
Official Madison Police Department call logs released Monday add further detail to the early response. Responding officers who arrived at the scene located shell casings and took witness statements before learning the 19-year-old had already been privately transported to the hospital, according to the City of Madison. The department has not released the identity of the shooter, and the motive behind the argument that preceded the gunfire remains unknown.
A Northport Drive Shots-Fired Call
In March 2025, a shots-fired call at an apartment complex on the same block was reported. A separate Southwest Side incident damaged an apartment and a car, according to the Wisconsin State Journal.
This is not the first violent incident Hoodline has tracked on the North Side in recent weeks. On September 20, police investigated a separate fatal shooting on North Sherman Avenue in which 36-year-old Racine resident Skyler Thomas was killed.
Citywide Numbers Show a Decline, But Targeted Attacks Persist
Zooming out, Madison has actually seen gun violence ease over the past year. The city reported that officers responded to 117 shots-fired calls in 2025, a 10.7% drop from 2024 and a 24% decline compared to the city's three-year average, according to the City of Madison. Police also recovered 323 shell casings from shots-fired scenes in 2025, a 22.9% decrease from casing recoveries the year before, the city reported.
Even so, incidents like the one on Northport Drive remain a priority for investigators. The Madison Police Department's Violent Crime Unit is involved in the investigation.
Possible Charges Under Wisconsin Law
If a suspect is identified and arrested, Wisconsin law provides for serious felony exposure in cases involving gunfire directed at an occupied vehicle. Under Wisconsin Statute § 941.20, intentionally discharging a firearm into a vehicle is classified as a Class G felony carrying up to 10 years in prison, according to Wisconsin Legislative Documents. Separately, First-Degree Recklessly Endangering Safety under Wisconsin Statute § 941.30(1) is a Class F felony carrying a maximum penalty of 12.5 years in prison when conduct creates a substantial risk of death or great bodily harm showing utter disregard for human life.
Anyone with information is asked to contact Madison Area Crime Stoppers by phone at 608-266-6014 or submit tips online at P3Tips.com.
