Madison Police Department officials are investigating the apparent homicide of a 23-year-old Madison man who was stabbed to death a few blocks off the University of Wisconsin campus early Sunday morning.
According to an MPD report, officers were dispatched to Meriter Hospital around 2:15 a.m. on Sunday after an unknown vehicle dropped the victim off. The victim was bleeding from a stab wound and died shortly after arriving at the emergency room while personnel were treating the man for his injuries.
Although the investigation is still underway, MPD officers believe the injuries were incurred during a large disturbance at the BP Amoco Service Station at 318 S. Park St., the report said. At press time, officers did not say they believe anyone involved in the incident lives in the immediate area.
As of Sunday afternoon, no suspects were in custody, but Ald. Julia Kerr, District 13, said she believes MPD has a good idea of what happened during the incident and does not think residents in the area should be concerned.
“Emails have gone out to the neighborhood, and I think MPD is making very good progress,” Kerr said. “I really do not believe average folks out on a Sunday morning are in any danger at all.”
Kerr said she was shocked to hear of the incident because she said this was the first homicide in the district in several years.
UW spokesperson John Lucas said the university had not yet received any information from the UW Police Department or MPD that the victim was a UW student or member of the UW community, but said officials would follow new developments in the investigation as more information on the identity of the victim is released.
Lucas said UWPD did not send a WiscAlert to students and said sending out alerts is contingent upon the immediate need for students to take some sort of action, such as avoiding a certain area.
“I think it is pretty likely the university would post something about the incident on its site Monday because we are aware students live in this neighborhood,” Lucas said. “Students should be aware of their personal safety and regardless of this situation, if they are out on during this time in the morning, they should be very aware of their personal safety to begin with.”
