MILWAUKEE — Dozens of tow truck drivers filled a parking lot near Froedtert Hospital on Thursday night to support a colleague who, friends say, was shot while working earlier this week.
Watch: Tow truck drivers rally around Milwaukee driver shot while repossessing car
According to the Milwaukee Police Department, the shooting happened at about 11:40 p.m. Monday, Dec. 29, on the 3100 block of North 16th Street, near Burleigh Street and Teutonia Avenue. Police said a 29-year-old man sustained a gunshot wound and went to a local hospital for treatment.
Friends identified the victim as Alfredo “Fredo” Martin, a repossession agent for NWR Nationwide Recovery, which operates locally out of Oak Creek.
James Poplawski, a longtime friend of Martin’s, said Martin had been working on a repossession assignment when he was shot.
“He told me he wanted to get into towing. I gave him some pointers,” Poplawski said. “He enjoys helping people. He’s one of those guys who’d give you the shirt off his back.”
Martin’s friends described him as selfless and dedicated to his work.
Poplawski said the gathering of trucks and drivers Thursday night represented a larger sense of unity in their industry.
“It’s a brotherhood, a sisterhood. We all come together, and we’re going to support Fredo,” he said. “At the end of the day, we all want to go home.”
Attendees circled the hospital in their vehicles, flashing bright tow truck lights in what they described as a show of solidarity.
“This gets me emotional to see,” Poplawski said. “How many people are here just for somebody they didn’t even know.”
As Martin recovers in the hospital, Poplawski is sharing a message.
“Walk away. Take a breath. At the end of the day, we all want to go home.”
Loved ones created a GoFundMe page to help cover Martin’s medical expenses.
Milwaukee police said investigators have identified a suspect but have not made an arrest. Authorities continue to investigate and ask anyone with information to call the Milwaukee Police Department at 414-935-7360 or Crime Stoppers at 414-224-TIPS.
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