East Washington Avenue: Weapons Violation

The Madison Police Department arrested two teenage men on the 3000 block of East Washington Avenue Friday night after they brandished an Airsoft gun that appeared to be a handgun.

According to an MPD statement, a Madison woman was pumping gas and witnessed a group of teenagers approaching her, one of whom was pointing what looked to her to be handgun at another person. She became worried for the safety of her children who were in her car with her and called 911, the statement said.

After police officers arrived, they confronted the teens at gunpoint, the statement said. Upon investigation, they discovered a “real-looking Airsoft gun” in one of the teen’s backpacks, the statement said. According to the statement, the teen said he and his friends were waving the weapon around for fun. 

After the officer told the teen publicly carrying around weapons that look real creates a very serious situation when the police are called. The teen admitted he understood this and said what he did was dumb, the statement said. Along with being charged with possession of the weapon, the teen was also charged with disorderly conduct. 

The other teen, 15, was charged with unlawful use of the weapon, the statement said.

Ald. Marsha Rummel, District 6, said she has not heard of gun violations occurring in her district before.

Rummel said even though gun violence is not common in Madison, teens’ access to guns, more generally, is a continuing problem that needs to be addressed. Rummel noted teenagers may be influenced by the media’s representation of gun violence, and emulate it with fake or real weapons. 

“I think the media glorifies guns,” she said. “Teens imitate what they see around them. I think this is going to be a problem until we deal with our inadequate gun control and kids’ access to weapons.”

East Johnson Street: Prowler

A man stood looking inside the bedroom window of a 23-year-old woman outside an East Johnson Street residence last Friday morning.

According to an MPD statement, the woman had gotten out of the shower and entered her bedroom when she saw a shadow outside her window.  She moved toward the window and saw a man who was peering into her window, but left the scene when the woman saw him, the statement said.

The woman described the suspect as a black male in his 40s, 5-foot-10 and wearing a tan hat and a black “work jacket.”

Ald. Bridget Maniaci, District 2, said she has never heard of an incident of this nature occurring in her district.