Shooter Opens Fire Outside Milwaukee, 7 Shot

Brookfield, WI — At least seven people have been shot this morning at the Azana Spa across the street from the Brookfield Square mall.

Other reports say as many as a dozen have been shot by the gunman, who is still at large.

Brookfield is a suburb of about 38,000 people just west of Milwaukee. 

Patch has learned the man wanted by police is apparently the estranged husband of one of the hair stylists at the spa.

A spa employee told Patch the hair stylist has been having problems since she left her husband. The man is believed to have slashed car tires in the parking lot of the spa and the business recently put up signs on most of its doors warning employees to keep them locked at all times.

The employee who spoke to Patch said the woman's estranged husband was out of work and his wife was working every day to bring in money to pay the bills. However, she recently decided to leave him, and that's when the problems started.

The two have two daughters, ages 12 and 21, the Azana employee told Patch.

The Brookfield shooting comes approximately 10 weeks after Wade Michael Page opened fire at the Sikh Temple in Oak Creek, killing six people and injuring four more, including Oak Creek police Lt. Brian Murphy on Aug. 5.

The Brookfield Police Department is familiar with mass shooting incidents. In 2005, Terry Ratzmann opened fire during a Living Church of God worship service at the Sheraton Hotel, killing seven before turning the gun on himself.

A bomb squad was called to the scene after 1 p.m. after an explosive device was believed to be in the spa building.

Earlier reports said Brookfield Square Mall was on lockdown following the shooting, however, as of 1:20 p.m. people were allowed to leave the mall. Mall employees told Patch that they have received little information about the incident and have not been told whether to close their businesses.

Newsradio 620 WTMJ's is reporting that authorities are searching for a 6-foot 1-inch, 270 pound with a bald head and brown eyes. He was reportedly driving a black 2003 Mazda. Authorities believe he may be from Brown Deer.

Brookfield police have not provided any details on the incident as of 1:45 p.m. CST.

A spokeswoman for Froedtert Hospital told Patch: “We have been notified that some are coming," but had no information on how many victims there were.

FOX6 News is reporting that four people have been taken to Froedtert with non-life-threatening injuries and that three more are on their way.

Froedtert was put on lockdown at about 1:30 p.m., but there was no official word on the reason for that.

The incident happened about 11 a.m.

Tactical units entered the spa building. There are at least 15 ambulances on the scene from multiple jurisdictions.

The roads around Brookfield Square have been closed.

On the Brookfield Patch Facebook page, Sally Flaschberger said she showed up at the spa just after the shooting.

“I had an appointment scheduled for 11:15 a.m. and was running late," she wrote. "When I arrived, there was an officer outside with her gun drawn and I left the area. Feeling very lucky at this moment."

One mall customer, Lisa Taylor of Sussex, told Patch that the mall employees have not been told whether to stay on their jobs or leave the building.

David Gosh, of West Allis, told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel he was driving past when they saw a woman coming from the salon and the shooter chasing her before the shooter ran into the building or behind the building.

"She ran right out into the street and was pounding on cars," Gosh told the Milwaukee newspaper.