Sheriff: Suspect dead in Kewaskum shootout killed 2, stole 2 cars
KEWASKUM, Wis. - The Washington County Sheriff's Office on Friday, Feb. 5 released new details related to deadly Kewaskum home invasions that unfolded days earlier.
The events transpired on the afternoon of Wednesday, Feb. 3 on Forest View Road in the Town of Kewaskum and ended in three deaths.
Around 2:30 p.m. Wednesday, officials say a 30-year-old West Bend man stole a car in West Bend. Roughly 15 minutes later, he crashed the car in a rollover after failing to negotiate a curve.
The 30-year-old got out of the car and forced entry into an unoccupied, nearby residence. At the same time, a 52-year-old woman from Port Washington came across the accident scene and stopped to check if anyone needed help. Officials said she encountered the suspect, who then physically assaulted her and tried to take her car. The suspect then crashed that car while leaving the driveway.
Law enforcement responds to Town of Kewaskum incident
Officials said the suspect then ran to another residence on Forest View Road, where he forced entry and encountered the elderly homeowners around 2:50 p.m. There, he demanded the homeowners' car keys and attempted to drive away but couldn't get their car started. He then went back inside, officials said, and physically assaulted the couple.
The suspect then left and again attempted to steal the car. The male homeowner, 72, got a handgun for protection. However, officials said, the suspect got ahold of the gun and fatally shot the homeowner. The suspect then attempted to shoot the victim's wife, officials said, but the gun didn't fire.
Law enforcement responds to Town of Kewaskum incident
Fleeing on foot again, the suspect went to another residence on Forest View Road, obtained a shotgun and fatally shot the 77-year-old man who lived there. The 30-year-old fled again. The homicide was not witnessed.
Deputies first arrived and encountered the armed suspect near the scene of the second homicide around 3:05 p.m. Gunfire was exchanged, and the suspect was struck with a law enforcement round.
Law enforcement responds to Town of Kewaskum incident
After establishing a perimeter and deploying a drone to locate the suspect, who had again fled, officers found him dead from an apparent gunshot wound. A firearm was located nearby.
The shooting deputy is a nine-year Washington County law enforcement veteran and has been placed on administrative leave as standard protocol. He was not injured.
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Washington County Sheriff Marin Schulteis said:
"This horrific incident has struck this community and our agency at its core. We lost two valuable members of our community at the hands of this senseless crime spree. Their absence will impact many and we mourn with you. Our thoughts, prayers, and sympathies go out to the surviving victims and families of the deceased whose lives are forever changed. There are many more questions to be answered as to why this occurred. I assure the community that investigators are working diligently to be able to provide those answers. In the meantime, we ask that the public respect the privacy of the victims and their families and allow them to grieve.
"Our deputies never want to be placed in the position where they are required to use lethal force against our citizens. I am proud of the overwhelming law enforcement call to action which no doubt mitigated further violence from occurring; however, that does not provide peace to the loved ones of our victims. I believe the deputy’s actions were tragically necessary to protect the deputy and the community he took an oath to protect. Ultimately the independent investigation will be forwarded to the Washington County District Attorney’s Office to review, but our deputy’s actions ended a murderous rampage within our community."
The sheriff’s office is receiving assistance from the Wisconsin State Patrol and the West Bend Police Department. The Wisconsin Department of Justice Division of Criminal Investigation continues leading the investigation into the officer-involved shooting by conducting an independent investigation into the death of the suspect in accordance with state law.
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Neighbors react to deadly home invasion in Kewaskum
The Washington County Sheriff's Office is still working to piece together the series of events that left three people dead, including the suspect, in what appears to be a home invasion in the town of Kewaskum.