The death of Brittany Sue Zimmermann, a UW-Madison junior, marked the first student homicide in the downtown area since 1996. As a part of the UW-Madison community, she will be greatly missed by students and residents alike. The Madison community's response to the event has been nothing short of remarkable.
Upon hearing of the tragedy after Zimmermann was found at 1 p.m. Wednesday in her apartment on West Doty Street, UW-Madison students and residents of the downtown area have been quick and effective in responding to the incident. More than 200 residents met Saturday to discuss safety and observe a moment of silence for Zimmermann. Additionally, the Madison Police Department has committed more than 20 detectives and specialists to solve the case as promptly as possible.
Aside from addressing the fear and safety concerns instilled by this incident, the entire Madison community has done a spectacular job putting aside differing opinions to remember the loss of a neighbor, student and friend.
I probably walked the same route to school as Brittany Zimmermann. I take this one particularly personally,"" said Mayor Dave Cieslewicz, a former resident of West Doty Street. These sentiments were on display Sunday night at Memorial Union and Library Mall when attendees gave their condolences to Zimmermann's friends and family at the evening's vigil. Such a showing depicted the entire community's collective sense of loss.
The Daily Cardinal Editorial Board applauds and thanks everyone that has taken his or her part in addressing this great loss by either attending the vigil or vocalizing safety concerns. Through the combined efforts of the Madison community, we believe the continued attention granted to this tragedy will facillitate the police's efforts at solving the crime and prevent this kind of tragedy from happening again.
In the meantime, students must take full advantage of SAFE nighttime services and generally practice safe procedures when on campus, such as walking in groups and avoiding poorly lit areas on campus.
The best way for students to remember Brittany Zimmermann is to share any leads about the case with the police and take extra measures to protect individual and collective safety. In the wake of this great tragedy, any further preventative measures, such as increased vigilance in neighborhood watch groups and police surveillance must act as long-term solutions rather than short-term attempts to solve the problem.
