An unidentified suspect shot multiple rounds through the window of Stillwater’s Sunday night, police said.
The shots injured a man the suspect had argued with inside Stillwater’s before the suspect left and fired into the State Street bar at 1:37 a.m., according to police reports. The 23-year-old victim was released from a local hospital after treatment for injuries to his arm and leg.
Ald. Mike Verveer, District 4, said police told him the suspect hit the victim with the barrel of the handgun during their confrontation and the suspect eventually went outside, blasting the tavern with 10 rounds of bullets aimlessly directed through the large window. The tavern held between 60 and 100 people.
The suspect is a 6-foot-4 or 6-foot-5 slender African-American male nicknamed “Twan,” according to the victim. He is in his mid-20s and was last seen wearing a blue baseball cap, a black leather bomber jacket, blue jeans and hiking boots. The victim and the suspect were reported to be arguing earlier last week at the Annex, according to Verveer. Police have not apprehended anyone yet.
Verveer said the incident took place during the tavern’s Sunday night hip-hop open mic night, in place since December. He said Stillwater’s management has decided to discontinue the hip-hop night as a result of the shooting. However, Stillwater’s remains open, the window was replaced Monday and forensics officials have removed bullets from the bar’s interior.
Verveer said downtown shootings are very rare, with the last shooting also occurring during a hip-hop night three to four years ago at Mass Appeal club, which closed three years ago. He said although the city has been accused of being racist, violence has been a theme for hip-hop nights throughout Madison, and numerous establishments, including Paramount, the Latin Club, Spices and the Cardinal Bar, have closed or discontinued hip-hop nights.