Police say off-duty Saukville firefighter set fire to home, shot himself

SAUKVILLE -- A Saukville firefighter died in an apartment fire Sunday night, May 20th. Investigators say he is 36-year-old Timothy Karrels of Saukville. An autopsy Monday determined Karrels died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head, and investigators say he set the fire.

Officials say the fire broke out around 9:45 p.m. Sunday in an apartment unit above the Saukville Moose Lodge on east Green Bay Avenue.

A neighbor in the area smelled smoke, and a witness called 911.

Officials say smoke was coming from one of two apartments. An officer forced entry into a rear apartment to see if anyone was inside and was met by heavy smoke and had to retreat to the lower level. "They could smell smoke, felt the outside of Mr. Karrels' apartment door, kicked the door in and yelled for him," Saukville Police Chief William Meloy said.

Fire officials arrived on the scene and found the man in the rear apartment. The man was pronounced dead at 10:31 p.m. and was later identified as Timothy Karrels.

The Saukville Police Department says they determined after an autopsy Monday, May 21st, that Karrels committed suicide by a self-inflicted gunshot wound. The coroner also determined that Karrels did not have soot in his lungs.

Fire crews from surrounding areas, including Port Washington and Cedarburg were called to the scene to help battle the flames, and the Wisconsin Fire Marshal's Office assisted with the investigation.

Jody Schwanz owns J'Sports Bar & Grill, located across the street from where Karrels lived. She says Karrels had been there right before the fire. "It was hard, very hard. Someone we've known for a very long time who's close to a lot of people in town, who has been a regular customer. He has been a local DJ around town in Saukville. We called him 'DJ Tim' and a lot of people around town will know him as DJ Tim," Schwanz said.