Police: Shooting inside Madison radio station not random

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Wednesday, August 8, 2018
Police are searching for person who opened fire inside a Madison, Wisconsin radio station
Police are searching for person who opened fire inside a Madison, Wisconsin radio station

MADISON, Wisconsin -- A shooting inside a community radio station in Wisconsin injured a disc jockey and sent station volunteers running for cover early Sunday, and police said it didn't appear to be a random attack.

Officers were called to the shooting at WORT-FM in Madison shortly after 3 a.m. A 33-year-old man was found at the scene with gunshot injuries and taken to a hospital, police spokesman Howard Payne said.

The station said a man wearing a mask and hood entered the station and opened fire on three workers. Police said there were no signs of forced entry into the building.

The shooter "fired a number of shots," the president of WORT's board of directors, David Devereaux-Weber, told the Wisconsin State Journal . He said volunteers ducked for cover and ran into the master control room before hiding in the music library and calling 911.

The station identified the wounded man as a DJ, saying he had been treated and released from a hospital.

Police said investigators were still searching for the suspect Sunday afternoon.

The shooter entered the station during the transition between the midnight program and 3 a.m. show, Devereaux-Weber said. A code is needed to enter the building, and it's unclear whether the shooter knew the code or held the door open after someone entered the station, Devereaux-Weber said.

The station was off-air following the shooting but returned to broadcasting about six hours later. WORT said the station plans to tighten security.