3 dead, 1 hurt in shooting at Janesville apartment

JANESVILLE, Wis. (WKOW) �� Janesville Police Chief Chad Pearson said three adults were killed and another was critically injured in a shooting inside a Janesville apartment on Tuesday morning.

In a news conference, Chief Pearson said officers were originally called to a unit at Aspen Square Apartments for a "family problem." Then they learned gunshots had been fired.

Pearson said officers found the three adults dead when they got to the home. A fourth person was rushed to the hospital with life-threatening injuries.

One of the people who died was a 21-year-old man. The man's mother confirmed the information to 27 News. She was coming to the apartment for a scheduled visit.

"[Police] asked me my son's name, and they said, your son is dead," Nija Yarbrough told 27 News in a tearful interview.

Yarbrough said her son has an 8-month-old baby boy.

"He was a good person. My son wouldn't hurt a fly or anything," Yarbrough said.

Police did not provide any additional information about the other people who died or the person who remains in the hospital.

"There is a lot of delicate information that pertains to the individuals who are victims," Pearson said. "We can confirm there is no threat to the community."

Pearson added that the shooting was not drug-related. Officials also said the crime was not politically motivated.

According Rock County dispatchers, the call came in about the incident around 11 a.m. The apartment is located at the intersection of N. Pontiac Drive and Holiday Drive.

Janesville police, firefighters and EMTs as well as first responders from other Rock County agencies were at the scene all day.

An alert from Janesville police said, "There are no credible threats to the community at this time." The public was still asked to avoid the area while police were on scene.

A 27 News viewer who lives in the area said they were evacuated along with several other residents to a nearby parking lot by Dick's Sporting Goods.

The viewer said a large police presence was focused on four buildings, containing 12 units each on the Aspen Square Apartments property.

The investigation is ongoing.