Tyler Peterson

Case record: Tyler Peterson (Crandon shootings)

Status

Tyler Peterson committed suicide by shooting himself the same day victims.

Background

Tyler Peterson was a 20-year-old deputy who was a full-time deputy in the Forest County Sheriff's Department and a part-time officer at the Crandon Police Department. He was not on duty during the shootings.

The offence

On October 7, 2007, about 2:45 a.m. CDT, Tyler Peterson entered a duplex in Crandon, Wisconsin, where a homecoming party was being held. He shot and killed six people and critically injured a seventh before committing suicide.

The victims were students or recent graduates of Crandon High School and were aged 14 to 20. One victim, 18-year-old Jordanne Michele Murray, had been Peterson's former girlfriend. An argument or dispute was cited as being behind the massacre. The dispute was described as an argument within the apartment and Peterson had accused Murray of having a relationship with another man.

The gunfire involved a police AR-15 rifle and an automatic rifle “similar to one used by the sheriff’s department.” Police later ruled out that approximately 30 rounds were fired throughout the duration of the shooting. Police also said Peterson fired at a Crandon police car, wounding the officer in the car by breaking glass; the officer was not seriously injured. Peterson then left the scene.

Investigation

Police ruled out that approximately 30 rounds were fired throughout the duration of the shooting.

A state attorney general, J.B. Van Hollen, spoke at an early news conference. Van Hollen said there was an argument, and that Peterson left the gathering but returned with an automatic rifle “similar to one used by the sheriff’s department.” Van Hollen also said that about 30 rounds were fired, killing the six and wounding one.

Mike Myszewski, acting administrator for the Department of Justice's Division of Criminal Investigation, later described the manhunt and the difficulty of locating Peterson, saying:

"Throughout the early morning, law enforcement agencies from throughout the state were contacted, were en route and were fanning out to protect communities and locate Peterson," said Mike Myszewski, acting administrator for the Department of Justice's Division of Criminal Investigation. "Law enforcement faced uphill odds in locating Peterson."

Shooting and manhunt details during investigation

Cars were reported on the roads as early as 3:39 a.m. to head toward Crandon. Two pilots were called in to begin aerial searches. Eighteen agencies responded to a plea for help from Forest County, including state agents from Madison, Michigan state police, and sheriff's deputies from Washington County, 213 miles away.

State Patrol dispatchers took the lead in organizing the search by listing times and places officers were to begin duty and relaying information about Peterson and his vehicle. Officers faced limitations because Peterson had access to law enforcement communications. It was reported that:

"This is not for radio broadcast as Deputy Peterson has his portable,"

Dispatchers repeatedly relayed that caution.

Myszewski said Peterson knew the area and had access to law enforcement communications through the radio he kept in his truck:

"He knew the area very well and had access to law enforcement communications through the radio he kept in his truck. If police talked over the radio, he would hear," Myszewski said.

Peterson also used cell phone contact with friends and family, and sometimes with his pursuers. Myszewski said Peterson refused to tell his family and friends where he was for fear they would turn him in, and lied to police about his whereabouts to throw them off his trail:

"Peterson was actively giving misinformation to those he spoke with, proactively trying to throw law enforcement off of his trail," Myszewski said.

One of the calls was to the Vilas County Sheriff's Department in which Peterson identified himself as a member of the Forest County Sheriff's Department to provide false information. Peterson responded “yep” to most questions. The dispatcher asked about a vehicle description and plate number, and Peterson asked questions including:

Peterson asked the dispatcher about the "renegade deputy" responsible for the shootings in Crandon. "What did you have for a vehicle description?" Peterson asked. "Yeah, it's going to be a 2004, red F-150 now. … We don't (have a plate number) as of yet."

When asked if he knew what time the shootings had occurred, Peterson pretended to look at a case file:

"I think about midnight. I'd have to look up the complaint. … Hold on," Peterson said.

When the dispatcher asked if the shooter had tried to kill people, Peterson said:

"Six of 'em," Peterson answered. "Six of 'em?" "Yep." "And they're dead?" "Yep."

Dispatchers also issued a repeated warning about extreme caution. The repeated warning was described as being used multiple times in a short period:

She would later add details — Peterson probably had his service weapon, he was an avid hunter — but Seefeldt repeated the cautionary bulletin seven times in 11 minutes.

At 6:58 a.m., a State Patrol dispatcher alerted border patrol in International Falls, Minn., and Grand Forks, N.D. The dispatcher said:

"Advise (them) suspect possibly trying to get into Canada,"

Dispatchers later said Peterson doubled back and showed up at a cabin in Argonne only eight miles from the shooting while police had no clue and kept searching. As late as 8:21 a.m., dispatchers said:

"At this time, still no location of his whereabouts."

Dispatchers also told searching officers that Peterson's cell phone calls had been traced to Long Lake, then later Iron River, Mich., implying he was within five miles of the tower in Iron River. The reason for misleading call traces was described as unclear at the time.

Confrontation at the cabin and death

A co-owner of property called police saying Peterson had shown up at her cabin. Armored vehicles surrounded the cabin, nearby roads were blocked off, and Forest County requested a K-9 unit.

At about 12:30 p.m., Peterson walked hurriedly into the woods near the cabin. A sniper fired just before he vanished from sight, not knowing whether the shot found its mark. Three more shots rang out from the direction Peterson had gone.

A tactical team rushed toward the woods, yelling for Peterson to surrender. They found him lying on his back in tall grass. An agent stepped on Peterson's right arm to hold it down as he plucked the gun from Peterson's hand. The team rolled him over and handcuffed him, and then realized they had handcuffed a dead man.

Dispatchers then provided multiple updates by scanner. The updates included:

"One, two, three, four shots fired. Subject in woods northbound."
"Suspect 10-95 at this time."
"Advised situation in Forest County is over. Subject committed suicide."
"Cancel APB on Deputy Peterson."

Victims

All seven victims were either students or recent graduates of Crandon High School. The seventh victim, Charles Neitzel, played dead after being shot three times and survived despite being critically injured.

The victims listed were:

• Jordanne Michele Murray, 18
• Katrina Lee McCorkle, 18
• Lianna Faye Thomas, 17
• Bradley Steven Schultz, 20
• Aaron Edward Smith, 20
• Lindsey Lou Stahl, 14
• Charles Neitzel, described as the seventh victim who survived and was critically injured

Arrest and custody

There was no arrest; Peterson was found dead during the confrontation at a cabin.

Trial

No trial details were provided in the case material.

Sentencing

No sentencing details were provided in the case material.

Appeals

No appeal details were provided in the case material.

Timeline

• 2:30 a.m. — Peterson arrived at a duplex, 201 N. Hazeldell Ave., Apt. B, Crandon.
• 2:43 a.m. — Peterson left the duplex and retrieved a police AR-15 rifle.
• 2:47 a.m. — Crandon police officer Greg Carter reported hearing gunshots.
• 2:48 a.m. — Peterson emerged from the duplex and shot at Carter, hitting the squad car's windshield.
• 2:51 a.m. — Someone inside the duplex reported gunshots.
• 2:53 a.m. — Medics from Laona and Wabeno paged to scene.
• 2:55 a.m. — Dispatcher told police that shooter was at 201 N. Hazeldell Ave., a neighboring residence.
• 3:00 a.m. — Peterson started to drive to see his brother, then began driving “aimlessly” around Lincoln, Forest and Langlade counties in northern Wisconsin.
• 3:01 a.m. — Ambulances arrived at the duplex.
• 3:09 a.m. — A Forest County deputy left a message on Peterson's cell phone requesting a return call.
• 3:10 a.m. — Chief Deputy Ken Van Cleve of the Forest County Sheriff's Department left a message on Peterson's cell phone requesting Peterson meet or call him.
• 4:20 a.m. — Local police agencies requested help from the state Department of Justice's Division of Criminal Investigation.
• 4:30 a.m. — DCI staff members headed toward the scene.
• 5:13 a.m. — Tyler Peterson told authorities there was no "taking back what he did."
• 5:58 a.m. — Authorities requested State Patrol troopers for help with crowd control and scene containment.
• 7:50 a.m. — Peterson went to a cabin in Argonne where his friends were.
• 7:55 a.m. — Peterson told people at the cabin what he did and said he would turn himself in to Crandon Police Chief John Dennee.
• 8:30 a.m. — Peterson left the cabin to meet with family members.
• 9:15 a.m. — Peterson returned to the cabin.
• 9:30 a.m. — People in the cabin noticed Peterson still had a pistol on his hip.
• 9:40 a.m. — Steve Peterson, Tyler Peterson's father, called his son but the call went to voicemail.
• 9:56 a.m. — Tyler Peterson made the first of two calls to Forest County sheriff.
• 10:02 a.m. — Officers searching for Peterson were alerted their manhunt was over; he was believed located in a cabin and officers staged to attempt to apprehend him.
• 12:31 p.m. — Peterson was shot in the left bicep, presumably by police, and was found with three apparently self-inflicted pistol wounds to the head.
• about 4 p.m. — Police confirmed the names of the six shooting victims who died and Peterson's death to residents gathered at Praise Chapel Community Church in Crandon.

Outcome

Six people were killed and a seventh person, Charles Neitzel, survived after being shot three times and being critically injured. Tyler Peterson died the same day and committed suicide by shooting himself.

Aftermath

Chief John Dennee said Peterson had met state requirements to be a police officer and that “we had no indication” that he would extract murderous revenge. Dennee also said “No psychological screening was performed in his hiring.”

After the shooting, Peterson had telephone conversations with Leon Stenz, the Forest County district attorney, about surrendering to police, but could not reach an agreement. Stenz said Peterson seemed calm on the phone and that “he understood the situation he was in.”

A local pastor, Bill Farr, read a statement from Peterson’s family at the news conference, saying:

The family was shocked at the incident, which they said “was not the Tyler we knew and loved.”

The family said it felt:

“a tremendous amount of guilt and shame for the acts Tyler committed” as well as sorrow and grief for the victims and their families.