Letter to the Editor Responding to Rash of Shootings Hits Its Mark

Ah, Wisconsin. The Badger State is synonymous with football, cheese, Walker’s ACT 10 busting up union control, and the crazy antics of liberal lunacy in the capital city of Madison.

Something we’re not very well known for, outside of Mayor Barrett’s city of Milwaukee, is a ton of gun violence.

Following a string of shootings across Madtown, several letters were written to the Wisconsin State Journal by residents looking for elected officials to enact stricter gun laws to prevent further gun violence in the state’s capital.

But one letter hit the bullseye when it’s writer called out the ignorance of any resident calling for gun control laws when it’s criminals who don’t follow the laws doing the shooting.

Over the past few weeks, several letter writers have asked for “reasonable” gun control. That phrase is liberal shorthand for disenfranchising law-abiding citizens.

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However, real violent crime is initiated by our local so-called gang-bangers. Here is a golden opportunity for the Madison liberals to make a real dent on violence.

Instead of rolling out another meaningless letter to honest citizens who commit no crimes, why don’t these same leftists go to the malls and drug hangouts and ask real criminals to hand over their firearms. Most of those weapons are stolen anyway, and felons cannot legally possess firearms.

So get with it, folks. Get out there and fight crime — real crime. That’s the reasonable option. It’s more honest than writing another letter to the editor you have no intention of personally backing.

— Chico Buller, Sun Prairie

City of Madison Chief Mike Koval and town of Madison Chief Scott Gregory said police are continuing to investigate the unprecedented shootings:

Police shared photos and said nine men are sought and considered people of interest in recent shots fired incidents:

Top: William Flowers Jr., Travis Smith Jr., Sorrell Gilmore, Mitchell C. Hallmon. Bottom: Michael J. Hallmon, Michael J. Collins, Maurice Graham, Lordie J. Cole Photos courtesy Dane County Sheriff's Office
Top: William Flowers Jr., Travis Smith Jr., Sorrell Gilmore, Mitchell C. Hallmon.
Bottom: Michael J. Hallmon, Michael J. Collins, Maurice Graham, Lordie J. Cole
Photos courtesy Dane County Sheriff’s Office

Two of the men have a connections to one of the other recent shootings. William Flowers was a person of interest in the shooting outside O’Grady’s Pub on April 19. Police have been looking for him for weeks, but hadn’t been able to locate him as of Thursday. Shooting victim Martez Moore’s brother, Kortney, is suspected of shooting the man at the Capitol Petro Mart. Gregory said surveillance video from the store identified Kortney as the gunman.

Police said it’s possible the shooting at Capitol Petro was revenge for the death of Martez Moore.

Koval said the gun violence Madison has experienced this year — including three dozen shots fired incidents, three of which were fatal — is unprecedented.

Gregory said he’s disturbed and is looking for answers.

“I don’t understand why lives aren’t mattering anymore to these people who are shooting and getting shot at, how the value of human lives are being diminished,” Gregory said.

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