A Madison man was killed early Monday morning on the city’s south side, the victim of an apparent homicide.
Lofton V. Sprouls, 27, of Madison, was pronounced dead shortly before 4 a.m. after being transported to an area hospital for treatment of a gunshot wound and resuscitation efforts had failed, a report from the Madison Police Department said.
Officers responded to an apartment complex near the 1100 block of Moorland Road at approximately 2:37 a.m. to reports of gunshots. Upon arriving on the scene, officers found Sprouls with what appeared to be a gunshot wound.
Sprouls was originally believed to be a resident of Fitchburg, but after confirming his identity with next of kin, the Dane County Coroner’s Office released his information.
Ald. Tim Bruer, District 14 and city council president, represents the area in which the crime took place.
Bruer said the incident is the first homicide in the city of Madison in 2010, and though the crime itself is striking, it could have happened in any community around the state. He added the area he represents has seen a significant drop in crime in recent years.
“With the tremendous amount of work that has been done in terms of community policing, neighborhood watch and the tightening of screening processes by landlords, we’ve seen a remarkable downturn in crime all along the greater south Madison corridor,” Bruer said.
The incident is currently under investigation, and detectives and investigators from MPD have been assigned to the case. The MPD report notes the incident is not thought to be a random act and is not believed to be connected to any other shootings or recent crime in the area.
MPD has said Madison residents should not feel any additional personal risk as a result of the event. MPD also urges anyone with information pertinent to the case to contact Crime Stoppers at (608) 266-6014.
“I’m confident that the police department will likely find their suspect or suspects and hold any and all parties responsible and accountable for this tragedy,” Bruer said.
