Middleton Wisconsin, a suburb of Madison, was shaken by an active shooter event on September 19th, 2018. The shooter targeted software company WTS Paradigm. Police report that four people were injured and taken to a nearby hospital for emergency care.
The office building, which houses multiple software companies in the suburban neighborhood, was broken into by the shooter after 10 am. The shooter broke down the building glass entry door and opened fire on the employees of WTS Paradigm.
Upon arrival at 11:15 am, police shot the gunman and declared the area safe. Of the four people injured in the shooting, one is in critical condition and two are in serious condition.
The gunman was identified as an employee of the software company, hired in April of 2017. There is no insight into the motives of the shooter’s actions but police have begun searching a local area home in connection to the shooting. The man had no prior history with the police department and no connections released at this time to explain his sudden actions.
WTS Paradigm opened in 1999 with its headquarters located in this Middleton office. Middleton, like many US Suburbs, is expected to have an 80% growth in residential communities over the next 10 years. WTS Paradigm focuses on hardware and software solutions for business across a wide variety of fields.
Business Analyst Judy Lahmers recalls the sound of gunshots as though someone had dropped a large pile of boards on the ground. Lahmers wasn’t sure what to do in this situation and found herself running from the building to hide behind her car.
A neighboring business, Esker Software, reported hearing loud clapping sounds and seeing people suddenly running across the street in a panic. Employees of Esker Software hid in their office cafeteria away from all windows and waited for an all clear from police.
Police response occurred within eight minutes of receiving the call. The shooter was neutralized almost immediately. Middleton Police Chief Chuck Faulke explains that the gunman was armed with a semi-automatic pistol and had extra magazines on hand. The actions of the officers arriving on the scene likely prevented further bloodshed.