Neighbors recount gunfire and screams after deadly shooting on Madison’s Regent Street

MADISON, Wis. (WMTV) - People living near Regent Street woke up to gunshots and screams early Saturday morning after police say someone opened fire outside a bar, killing a 32-year-old man.

Madison Police Chief John Patterson said officers responded to a disturbance involving nearly two dozen people outside a bar in the 1200 block of Regent Street around 1:40 a.m.

As officers were responding, someone pulled out a gun and fired multiple shots into the group, according to Patterson. A 32-year-old man was struck and later died at a hospital.

No arrests have been made, and investigators are still trying to determine whether the shooting was targeted or stemmed from a dispute.

Diba De, who lives nearby, said she had called in a noise complaint about an hour before the shooting.

“I woke up to the noise of gunshots, and my boyfriend called 911 because he was like, those were definitely gunshots. Like, what was that? And we heard all the sirens and saw lights flashing in our window,” De said.

She also recalled hearing people screaming immediately after the shots.

“That was kind of alarming and scary in that moment. Because again, I don’t really know what to do in that situation,” she said.

Another neighbor, Eli Ensfield, initially thought the gunshots sounded like a car engine.

“And then I opened my window and I saw a bunch of people like, some of them were running, some people like arguing with each other. There’s an ambulance like coming in. And it was pretty crazy,” Ensfield said.

For Ensfield, the violence so close to home was unsettling.

“You feel a little insulated, especially living in like a college campus, they’re generally pretty safe, right? And then having happened right here, it was definitely a shock,” he said.

The shooting was one of two fatal incidents overnight, marking Madison’s third and fourth gun-related homicides this week.

With Halloween celebrations expected to draw crowds Saturday night, Chief Patterson said the recent violence would increase officers’ vigilance.

“I think certainly it’s going to increase the diligence of those that are tasked with working this evening. And again, if anyone in this community gets a chance to thank police and fire this weekend, please do so. It’s been one heck of a week,” Patterson said.

Despite the shooting, Ensfield said he still feels comfortable in the neighborhood.

“I just hope it’s a blip in the radar. I hope it doesn’t keep happening,” he said.

Anyone with information about the shooting is asked to contact Madison police or Madison Area Crime Stoppers.

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