A 31–year-old police officer was in his squad car early this morning and about to leave the scene of a domestic violence call when he was ambushed and shot multiple times.

A Milwaukee police officer was shot in a “vicious” attack early Sunday as he sat in his squad car while colleagues investigated a domestic disturbance call, an official said.

The suspected shooter, identified by police as a 20-year-old West Allis man with two felonies on his record, was found dead in a nearby yard, they said.

The incident began as a response to a domestic disturbance call near South 17th Street and West Morgan Avenue at about 2 a.m. During that investigation, someone fired shots into the squad car, striking an officer “multiple” times,” Asst. Police Chief William Jessup said in a morning press conference.

The officer, a 31-year-old man with 13 years of service, was taken to Froedtert Hospital for surgery. Milwaukee police Sergeant Tim Gauerke said the injuries were not life-threatening.

“This is just another example of the risks our officers take each and every day to protect these citizens,” Jessup said.

While investigating that shooting, officers on the scene heard gunshots and discovered the body of a young man in a nearby yard, Jessup said. That man is believed to be the same person who was involved in both the domestic incident and the shooting of the police officer, Jessup said.

The suspect in the shooting is a convicted felon who could not legally possess a firearm.

It is not clear at this time if the domestic violence call was real, or if it was staged so that the suspect could attempt the murder of the police officer.

It is not known at this time what the suspect’s motive was for the shooting, and no details about the deceased suspect have been released beyond the report that he is a convicted felon.