Officials give details in shooting rampage
CRANDON, Wis. – The 20-year-old off-duty sheriff’s deputy who gunned down six young people later shot himself three times during a confrontation with law enforcement, once in the right temple, police said Tuesday.
They also released a chilling timeline and grim details of Tyler Peterson pursuing his victims through his former girlfriend’s house, killing one girl as she hid in a closet.
This town of nearly 2,000, located about 120 miles south of Lake Superior, was no closer Tuesday to understanding why Peterson, a hometown son known for his friendly demeanor and love of sports, went on his fatal rampage. The six slain young people were either enrolled at or were recent graduates of Crandon High School, Peterson’s alma mater.
During a news conference, Wisconsin Attorney General J.B. Van Hollen described what happened around 2:30 a.m. Sunday, as the young people celebrated a victorious homecoming football game.
Peterson stopped by the two-story duplex home of his ex-girlfriend Jordanne Murray, 18, about a block from the town’s police station. She was there eating pizza and watching movies with friends.
Peterson accused her of dating someone else. The couple argued. Peterson left, but minutes later he broke down the door carrying a police-issued AR-15 rifle.
“He didn’t speak. He simply opened fire,” Van Hollen said.
Peterson shot his first three victims – Aaron Smith and Bradley Schultz, both 20, and Lindsey Stahl, 14 – in the living room as they sat on the couch or stood in front of it.
Murray was killed in the kitchen. Katrina McCorkle, 17, had run to a nearby bedroom. She was killed in front of a closet. Lianna Thomas, also 17, was killed inside the closet, where she apparently had attempted to hide.
Returning to the kitchen, Peterson shot Charles Neitzel, 21, in the leg. Neitzel fell to the ground, then struggled to stand and pleaded for his friend to stop. The off-duty officer shot him two more times, Van Hollen said. Neitzel lay still. He survived and is listed in serious condition at St. Joseph’s Hospital in Marshfield.
Peterson left the residence. Outside, he fired on a Crandon police officer responding to the gunshots and then fled, calling in false police reports about his location.
He eventually stopped at a friend’s home in the woods of Argonne, about seven miles to the north. In conversations with friends and law enforcement, he confessed to the killings but refused to surrender.
Peterson later died in the woods. Two gunshots entered under his chin; the fatal third, at the right side of his head. All three appear to have come from Peterson’s 40-caliber Glock pistol. Police said a bullet wound to his left biceps came from a high-powered rifle.
As investigators continued autopsies on Peterson, and nearby communities held candlelight vigils in honor of the victims, many Crandon residents were reluctant to talk about the tragedy. Some fled from TV camera crews or begged reporters to leave town and let them grieve in private.
Others criticized the local police department for not administering psychological tests as a requirement for employment.
“He was so young, too young, to do the job,” said Kendal Maertz, 50, who was a member of the town’s volunteer fire department for 18 years. “I hate watching the news now. It’s like a horror movie, only we’re the cast.”