Grand Chute police: 17-year-old boy admitted to fatally shooting grandparents

GRAND CHUTE — A 17-year-old told investigators that he fatally shot an elderly couple and was planning to cause harm at his high school in eastern Wisconsin, police said Monday.

Police officers responding to a 911 call for assistance found the bodies of the man and woman -- identified by Grand Chute police as 74-year-old Dennis Kraus and 73-year-old Letha Kraus at their home in Grand Chute about 11:30 a.m. Sunday, April 14, Officer Travis Waas said. He declined to release details of the call.

Grand Chute police identified the suspect as Alexander Kraus, who lives in nearby Neenah, at the couple's home, Waas said. Kraus admitted that he shot the two, Waas said.



Kraus was being held in the Outagamie County Jail and has not yet been charged. Police said in a news release that he could be charged as an adult with two counts of first-degree intentional homicide.

Wisconsin is one of six states that treat 17-year-olds as adults in the criminal justice system. Democratic Gov. Tony Evers has included provisions in his state budget that would move 17-year-olds back into juvenile court.

A long gun, believed to have been used in the crime, was recovered at the home, Waas said. Police have released no information on why the couple were shot.



Kraus also told investigators about his plan to cause harm at Neenah High School, where he was a junior, Waas said. He said investigators recovered documentation related to that plan, but declined to comment on the nature of the plan or the severity of the threat.

The school district released a statement Monday saying police determined there was no danger to students and staff at the high school and that the school day would proceed as normal. Additional counselors were available to students and there was an extra police presence at the high school, the district said.