WAUKESHA, Wis. — A 31-year-old man suspected of carrying out random shootings across Waukesha County is now in custody following a shootout with Brookfield Police Saturday night.
The arrest brings relief to residents who witnessed the seemingly random attacks that began two weeks ago on Jan. 24, when three homes near Waukesha West High School were shot. That same night, a home in New Berlin was also hit by gunfire, and the New Berlin residence was struck again Monday morning.
"I was definitely concerned that he wasn't going to be caught," said Cynthia Banks, who witnessed one of the Waukesha shootings.
Waukesha Police identified the man as a person of interest in their shootings investigation. New Berlin Police say they are still investigating whether the same person is responsible for the shootings in their city.
The 31-year-old suspect was taken into custody Saturday night after crashing his vehicle in Brookfield and running away into a nearby neighborhood. When Brookfield Police arrived, the situation escalated quickly.
Watch: Residents grateful seemingly random Waukesha County shooter is in custody
"They were met with gunfire. One officer responded by returning fire," said Brookfield Police Chief Chris Garcia.
The shootout occurred while children were sledding in the area. Steph Wade received a frantic phone call from her sons, who were out with friends when the gunfire erupted.
"They thought they heard gunshots," Wade said. "Our boys actually called police because they didn't know where to go."
The children were unharmed, and the suspect was taken into custody after being shot by a Brookfield Police officer. He was transported to a hospital in serious condition.
Despite the arrest, investigators say they still don't understand the motive behind the attacks.
“It appears to be random. We don't know the why at this time," said Captain Dan Baumann of the Waukesha Police Department.
Dean Meickle, another witness to the Waukesha shootings, expressed hope for answers.
"I hope we just get some answers as to why he did it," Meickle said.
The suspect has not been formally charged yet as he remains hospitalized for treatment of gunshot wounds. Police expect multiple charges to be filed once he is released from the hospital.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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