Close Up Shot Focused on Yellow Tape Showing Text Police Line Do Not Cross. Restricted Area of a Crime Scene. Bokeh Background with Flickering Siren Lights. Forensics Team Working on a Case
Shorewood, WI – A deadly and chaotic series of events unfolded in the early morning hours of Thursday in Shorewood, resulting in the death of a 34-year-old woman identified as Victoria Truss, the injury of a police officer, and a subsequent police chase that ended with the suspect being fatally shot in Milwaukee.
Police say the initial shooting occurred around 2:30 a.m. outside Truss’s home near Bartlett Avenue and Wood Place. Officers responded to reports of gunfire and arrived to find Truss mortally wounded. She was pronounced dead at the scene. A second victim was also shot and injured, though authorities have not released their identity or current condition.
According to Shorewood Police Chief Heather Wurth, the suspect—whose name has not yet been publicly released—was known to the victim. The motive behind the attack is still under investigation, but early indications suggest a personal connection between Truss and the gunman.
As officers arrived on scene, the suspect opened fire on police. One Shorewood officer, still seated in his squad car, was struck by a bullet, but his bulletproof vest prevented serious injury. At least two bullet holes were later seen in the squad car’s windshield. The officer was unable to return fire as the suspect fled the scene in a black sedan. He was later treated at a hospital and released.
Residents nearby described being startled awake by the sound of gunshots. “My wife and I woke up about 2:30 in the morning,” said local resident John Klaus. “At first we thought it was fireworks, but then the rounds just kept happening.”
Following the attack, a multi-jurisdictional manhunt was launched. Around 9:30 a.m., officers from the Wauwatosa Police Department located the suspect’s vehicle and began pursuit. During the high-speed chase, police say the suspect fired multiple rounds from inside his car at pursuing officers. The chase ended in Milwaukee, near Reservoir Avenue and Dr. William Finlayson Street, where the suspect continued firing upon officers.
At that point, officers returned fire, striking and killing the gunman. No officers were injured during the pursuit or subsequent shootout. Wauwatosa Police have not specified how many officers discharged their weapons, but those involved have been placed on administrative leave, which is standard protocol during officer-involved shootings.
The Milwaukee Area Investigative Team (MAIT), led by the Oak Creek Police Department, has been tasked with investigating the officer-involved shooting component of the incident.
Chief Wurth voiced frustration over the escalating violence in the region, emphasizing the rising danger to both civilians and officers. “The inherent risks that they face and the attacks that they’re under… the violence in this community, Milwaukee, Shorewood—it has got to stop,” she said during a press briefing.
As the investigation continues, the community of Shorewood is left mourning the loss of Victoria Truss, remembered by friends as a kind and loving individual. Authorities are urging anyone with additional information about the shooting or the events leading up to it to come forward.
