The Crandon shooting was a

mass murder Mass murder is the violent crime of murder, killing a number of people, typically simultaneously or over a relatively short period of time and in close geographic proximity. A mass murder typically occurs in a single location where one or more ...

that occurred about 2:45 a.m. CDT on October 7, 2007, at a post-

homecoming Homecoming is the tradition of welcoming back alumni or other former members of an organization to celebrate the organization's existence. It is a tradition in many high schools, colleges, and churches in the United States and Canada. United St ...

party inside a duplex in

Crandon, Wisconsin Crandon is a city in Forest County, Wisconsin, United States; it is in the northeastern part of the state, about north of Green Bay. The population was 1,713 at the 2020 census. It is the county seat of Forest County and is the only inco ...

, United States.Deputy fired 30 shots from rifle in killing 6, officials say
, CNN. The perpetrator, 20-year-old Tyler James Peterson (March 6, 1987 – October 7, 2007), who was a full-time deputy in the Forest County

Sheriff A sheriff is a government official, with varying duties, existing in some countries with historical ties to England where the office originated. There is an analogous, although independently developed, office in Iceland, the , which is common ...

's Department and a part-time

officer An officer is a person who has a position of authority in a hierarchical organization. The term derives from Old French ''oficier'' "officer, official" (early 14c., Modern French ''officier''), from Medieval Latin ''officiarius'' "an officer," fro ...

with the Crandon Police Department, shot and killed six people and critically injured a seventh before committing

suicide Suicide is the act of intentionally causing one's own death. Risk factors for suicide include mental disorders, physical disorders, and substance abuse. Some suicides are impulsive acts driven by stress (such as from financial or ac ...

.Shooter killed after Wisconsin gun rampage
''Telegraph''. One of the victims, 18-year-old Jordanne Michele Murray, was Peterson's former girlfriend, and it was believed that a dispute within the apartment motivated the shooting. The incident was retroactively identified as the first time an AR-15 style rifle was used in a mass shooting in the U.S., according to '' Mother Jones''s mass shooting database; AR-15s have been used in mass shootings at increasing rates since the Crandon shooting.

Overview

Peterson, who was not on duty at the time of the shooting, entered an apartment complex where a

party was held at approximately 2:30 a.m. CDT. There, he argued with the seven people inside before going back to his car to retrieve his rifle. He kicked down the door and killed three people in the living room, then killed one in the kitchen, one outside a closet, and one inside a closet. The last victim to be shot was Charlie Neitzel. He fell in the kitchen after being shot, and then asked the shooter to stop shooting before attempting to take the gun away. The shooter shot him a second time, after which Neitzel played dead, and was then shot a third time. Neitzel survived. Peterson went outside, where he saw officer Greg Carter, who did not initially suspect Peterson of being the shooter, driving towards the scene. Peterson sprayed gunfire at Carter's windshield, wounding him with flying glass. Carter lied sideways and put his vehicle in reverse. Peterson then fled the scene. Peterson drove aimlessly and called in false reports of his location. He was confronted by authorities at a friends cabin 7 miles to the north in Argonne later that day. He held his friends hostage until 12:30 p.m., which is when he attempted to run off into the woods. His cause of death was initially believed to have been from a gunshot fired by a police

sniper A sniper is a military or paramilitary marksman who engages targets from positions of concealment or at distances exceeding the target's detection capabilities. Snipers generally have specialized training and are equipped with telescopic si ...

, but it was later discovered that he committed

by multiple gunshots. The shooter was shot in the left arm bicep by a police sniper, and then he shot himself 3 times with his glock, twice under the chin, and once to the side of his head. Police have determined that approximately 30 rounds were fired from the rifle throughout the duration of the apartment shooting.

Victims

All victims were either students or recent graduates of Crandon High School. One victim played dead after being shot three times and survived. Fatalities: * Aaron Smith, 20 * Bradley Schultz, 20 * Jordanne Michele Murray, 18 * Katrina McCorkle, 17 * Lianna Thomas, 17 * Lindsey Stahl, 14 * Tyler James Peterson, 20 (Perpetrator) Survivors: * Charlie Neitzel, 21

Perpetrator

Peterson graduated from Crandon High School in 2005. He was hired as a full time police officer on September 11, 2006. He and Murray broke up the month before the shooting, after dating for 4 years.

Aftermath

Charlie Neitzel was discharged from the hospital on October 17, 2007. The house were the murders took place was later demolished in June 2008. Families of the victims filed a lawsuit against the city, claiming that the city was neglectful for giving Peterson access to weapons and never making him undergo a mental assessment to become an officer. A judge dismissed the suit and ordered the families to pay $21,000 for legal fees.

Notes

References

External links

Documents fill in lost hours after gunman killed six in Crandon

Horror and healing in Crandon

Wisconsin Town in Shock
{{coord, 45, 34, 13, N, 88, 54, 18, W, type:event_region:US-WI, display=title 2007 in Wisconsin 2007 mass shootings in the United States 2007 murders in the United States Attacks in the United States in 2007 Crimes in Wisconsin Deaths by firearm in Wisconsin Forest County, Wisconsin Mass murder in 2007 Mass murder in Wisconsin Mass shootings in the United States Mass shootings in Wisconsin Murder in Wisconsin Murder–suicides in Wisconsin Child murder in Wisconsin October 2007 crimes in the United States People murdered by law enforcement officers in the United States Murders by law enforcement officers in the United States Mass shootings involving AR-15–style rifles