‘Worthless pig’ insult preceded party shootings

CRANDON, Wis. – A young sheriff’s deputy who opened fire on a pizza party and killed six people reportedly flew into a rage when he was rebuffed by his old girlfriend, and others at the gathering called him a “worthless pig.”

A longtime friend told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel on Monday that 20-year-old Tyler Peterson came to his door in the hours after the rampage and calmly explained what he had done.

“He wasn’t running around crazy or anything. He was very, very sorry for what he did,” Mike Kegley told the newspaper, adding that he gave Peterson coffee and food and later called 911.

Peterson told Kegley that he had gone to his ex-girlfriend’s house early Sunday in hopes of patching up the relationship after a recent breakup. But, he said, Peterson lost control when the meeting ended in an argument and other people started ridiculing him as a “worthless pig.”

Police, who declined to provide details of the argument, said Peterson stormed out, retrieved an AR-15 rifle from his car and burst back into the house, firing 30 shots that killed all but one of the people at the party.

Peterson, a deputy and part-time police officer, later died after exchanging gunfire with law enforcement officers. Whether Peterson was shot by police or took his own life was unclear.

The rampage raised questions in the remote northern Wisconsin community of 2,000 about how Peterson could have met requirements to become a law enforcement officer, especially after police acknowledged Monday that Peterson received no psychological screening before he was hired.

Peterson was hired as full-time deputy sheriff on Sept. 11, 2006, at the age of 19, according to personnel records released by the Forest County clerk. His yearlong probation ended last month.

At a news conference, which gave the most detailed explanation yet of the shooting, Police Chief John Dennee said Peterson and the young woman had been in a relationship for a few years.

“They had broken up and gone back and forth,” Dennee said.

After the attack, in phone conversations with the police chief and others, Peterson identified himself as the shooter, authorities said.

The six young people killed in the rampage were either students or graduates of Crandon High School. They were at the house to share pizza and watch movies during the school’s homecoming weekend.

The other victims were identified as Jordanne Murray, who was believed to be the girlfriend; Katrina McCorkle; Leanna Thomas; Aaron Smith; Lindsey Stahl; and Bradley Schultz.

Schultz, 20, was a third-year criminal justice major at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee who hoped to be a homicide detective.

He was home visiting friends and appeared to have died trying to protect one.

The lone survivor, Charlie Neitzel, 21, of Pickerel, was upgraded to serious condition and was improving Monday at a hospital.