MILWAUKEE - Police are searching for the suspect, or suspects, who murdered a University of Wisconsin Milwaukee student in the Riverwest neighborhood.

Nathan Potter, 21, was found shot near the corner of North Dousman and West Wright Streets, just east of Humboldt Boulevard.
The shooting happened just after 1:00 a.m. Monday.

A witness saw Potter walking alone down the street wearing his backpack. The witness heard what he thought were firecrackers, but it turned out to be gunfire,  and then heard Potter cry "Help me!  Help me!"

Paramedics and firefighters came to the scene to assist him, but he was pronounced dead at the scene.

Police do not have anyone in custody.

Potter, was a student at UWM.

He grew up in Whitefish Bay, but was living in a Riverwest apartment about a block from where he was gunned down.

Friends and neighbors can't believe it.

"This is a nicer part of Riverwest neighborhood and I thought we'd be safe around here," Potter's friend Jeff Kuphal said. "It sucks. It's terrible. It's a tragedy. Such a nice guy."

Throughout the day Monday, loved ones came to the scene trying to understand why this happened.

Potter had a drug arrest in his past, but police don't know if that had anything to do with the shooting.

Friends say Potter was no longer involved with drugs, and don't believe he did anything wrong."I would think it was random because Nathan. I never knew him to have any enemies or people who didn't like him," Kuphal explained.

Police are looking for a car seen speeding off from the scene, but don't know if it is connected to the shooting.

"Everybody's kind of in disbelief. We're all down. It's hard to believe," Kuphal said.

Police want anyone who knows something to give them a call.