De’Shawn L. Sturkey, a 19-year-old Black/African American male, was fatally shot on the night of April 16, 2025, in Madison, Wisconsin. Although some later memorial listings dated his death as April 17, the Dane County Medical Examiner’s Office reported that Sturkey, who was from McFarland, was pronounced dead at a hospital on April 16. The shooting occurred shortly after 10 p.m. in the 1200 block of Fish Hatchery Road on Madison’s south side.
Police said Sturkey was with 17-year-old Montrae K. Stalling of Madison when the tragedy occurred. Investigators determined that the two were handling or playing with a firearm when it discharged, striking Sturkey. Madison police officers arrived at approximately 10:05 p.m. and immediately provided emergency medical assistance. Madison Fire Department paramedics then transported Sturkey to a hospital, but his injuries proved fatal. Authorities characterized the shooting as accidental rather than an intentional attack.
Stalling was taken into custody following the shooting. Police initially reported his arrest for negligent handling of a dangerous weapon, and subsequent reporting stated that he faced a homicide by negligent handling of a dangerous weapon allegation in connection with Sturkey’s death. The case was treated as a criminal matter despite investigators’ belief that the gun had fired accidentally, because authorities alleged that the manner in which the firearm was handled resulted in Sturkey’s death. Under Wisconsin law, causing another person’s death through criminally negligent handling of a dangerous weapon can constitute a Class G felony.
Stalling appeared in Dane County court after his arrest, where a judge set a $250 cash bond. The Madison Police Department and Dane County Medical Examiner’s Office continued investigating the circumstances surrounding the shooting after Sturkey’s death, including the precise cause and manner of death. The publicly available reporting located on the case documents Stalling’s arrest, the negligent-homicide allegation, and the initial bond proceedings, but does not provide a subsequently reported trial, guilty plea, conviction, or sentencing disposition.
