Wis. Gunman's Motives Remain a Mystery

Oct 08, 09:50 PM

Current Headlines: CRANDON, Wis. _ A minister delivered a grief-stricken apology from a killer's parents Monday, and a wish for answers that was shared throughout this northern Wisconsin town, where a day earlier, an off-duty law enforcement officer killed six people in a barrage of 30 rounds from a semi-automatic rifle.

The gunman, Forest County Sheriff's Deputy Tyler Peterson, 20, died roughly 12 hours after the massacre, during an encounter with members of the tactical unit on which he served. Peterson and the officers exchanged gunfire on property in the Town of Argonne, where the fugitive had gone to seek refuge with family friends.

At an early afternoon news conference, state Attorney General J. B. Van Hollen declined to say whether Peterson was killed by shots from the tactical squad officers or if he took his own life. The precise cause of death would be determined in an autopsy done Monday.

Autopsies also were being done Monday on Peterson's six victims: Jordanne Murray, 18; Katrina McCorkle, 18; Leanna Thomas, 18; Bradley Schultz, 20; Aaron Smith, 20 or 21; and Lindsey Stahl, 14.

Another victim, Charlie Nietzel, 21, remained in serious condition late Monday at St. Joseph's Hospital in Marshfield.

Peterson's parents apologized repeatedly to the victims and their families in a statement read by the Rev. Bill Farr, pastor of Praise Chapel Community Church.

"We also feel a tremendous amount of guilt and shame for the horrible acts Tyler committed," Farr read.

They could offer no answer as to why the young man would take such a violent turn.

"There is nothing that happened before or after yesterday's events that has given any insight into why," Farr read.

"Like those close to Tyler, we are in shock and disbelief that he would do such terrible things. This was not the Tyler we knew and loved."

While Peterson's motives remain a mystery, much attention was focused on his relationship with one of his victims: Murray, his former high school sweetheart.

Crandon Police Chief John Dennee said the two dated for several years, broke up some time ago, and continued "on again, off again."

Peterson, who was also a part-time Crandon police officer, shot Murray and the group of friends during a gathering in her home just off the town's main street. They had been watching movies and eating pizza. All were students or graduates of Crandon High School, and it was homecoming weekend in the town of 2,000.

According to Van Hollen, Peterson went to Murray's apartment late in the night, then left after an argument. He went to his pickup truck and returned with a gun, forced his way in and opened fire around 2:47 a.m. local time Sunday.

Authorities identified the rifle as an AR-15, the same type used by the Crandon Police Department tactical unit. Neither Van Hollen nor others would confirm whether the gun Peterson used had been issued to him by the police or sheriff's departments. But friends who saw Peterson after the shooting said it was the same gun.

As he left the apartment, Peterson fired numerous shots at a squad car driven by a fellow Crandon officer, Greg Carter, who was responding to a call of shots fired. Carter was injured by flying glass as at least one bullet hit his windshield.

Authorities again had contact with Peterson later Sunday morning, after he fled to a friend's house eight miles to the north.

Police Chief Dennee and the Forest County District Attorney Leon Stenz spoke with him by phone, trying to get Peterson to surrender.

Stenz handled the phone call at the Washington County Sheriff's Department, after he interrupted a shopping trip to an outdoor sporting goods store in Richfield.

"I was hopeful that we could resolve something," Stenz said. "We had some discussions about him turning himself in and the procedure how that would be accomplished. I anticipated that I would talk to him again, but unfortunately I didn't."

Stenz had limited dealings with Peterson, prosecuting cases on which the young deputy worked. He noted nothing to suggest Peterson was capable of the horrific crimes.

Chief Dennee said that Peterson had passed all of the department's background checks and screening processes. He did not, however, undergo a psychological exam prior to being hired.

The Crandon department does not require the exam, although pre-employment psychological testing has been the national standard in law enforcement for some 30 years, police practices expert Melvin L. Tucker said Monday.

Many departments screen officers a second time if they are assigned to a special unit. Peterson was assigned to such a unit, the Forest County Emergency Response Team.

Small departments are less likely to do psychological testing than larger ones, said Tucker, a former FBI agent who also has served as a police chief in departments in Tennessee, North Carolina and Florida.

Dennee addressed the screening question only briefly during the news conference.

"I think it's important that you realize, we had no indications, obviously, that anything like this would ever occur," Dennee told reporters at a news conference. "This occurred as a shock to us, just as much as it did to anyone else."

The shock was profound among the students and staff at the Crandon Schools.

Peterson graduated in 2005. Among his victims, Murray, Smith and Schultz were Crandon grads, while McKorkle, Thomas and Stahl are still students there.

Crandon Schools Superintendent Richard Peters said school will start again on Wednesday. In the meantime, counseling services are available Tuesday and there will be more once school resumes. A junior varsity football game scheduled for Tuesday night has been canceled.

No funeral information had been released Monday, but a memorial fund for families of the victims had been set up. Contributions may be sent to the Family Memorial Fund at the Laona State Bank, P.O. Box 128, Laona, Wis., 54541.

Crandon grew quiet and colder Monday evening. The school's flag flew at half staff, but the parking lot was empty. People who had gathered at Praise Chapel Community Church earlier to comfort each other had gone home.

The house where the killings occurred remained under guard by police, and surrounded by TV news trucks. A nearby gas station had changed its message board to read: "May God be with everyone."

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(Milwaukee Journal Sentinel correspondents contributing to this report: Darryl Enriquez and Ellen Gabler in Crandon; Don Behm and Lawrence Sussman in Cedarburg; Gina Barton and Derrick Nunnally in Milwaukee.)

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(c) 2007, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.

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PHOTOS (from MCT Photo Service, 202-383-6099): SHOOTINGS

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