Madison Police Department is asking witnesses to step forward with any information they have regarding an attempted homicide that occurred Sept. 4 in the 600 block of Mendota Court.
According to the initial incident report, a 22-year-old man was attending a party behind a residence near Memorial Union when he was shot once in the abdomen. He was transported to a hospital with life-threatening injuries and will likely survive.
Police notified the family right away and confirmed the victim was not a UW student.
The victim has now been identified as Mark Unangst. He received immediate surgery at University Hospital in Madison. Doctors were able to remove the bullet that was lodged in his abdominal wall and predict he will make a full recovery.
MPD currently believes there are many witnesses to the incident, with some that may even be able to identify the shooter, MPD spokesperson Joel DeSpain said. Detectives are also currently trying to find a witness who initially came forward with information moments after the shooting, he added.
“We have some theories that were operating under, but not enough for probable cause to make an arrest,” DeSpain said.
While MPD has some leads that are “hopeful,” they still need more eye witnesses to help piece the case together, DeSpain said.
DeSpain added that he understand some witnesses may feel reluctant to come forward because they may have been underaged at the party. He assured that MPD is not interesting in “busting underaged drinking” for this particular case and said witnesses with information should not worry about getting in trouble.
Anyone who saw the attempted homicide or has any information on the incident is encouraged to call Madison Area Crime Stoppers at (608) 266-6014.
