RSSShooting Rampage by Tyler Peterson Off Duty Sheriff’s Deputy Kills 6 in Crandon, WI (Update: “Worthless Pig”)
Tyler Peterson, a 20 year old, off duty Sheriff’s deputy has done the unthinkable. Wisconsin Forest County Sheriff’s Deputy Tyler Peterson, who also worked part-time as a Crandon police officer, barged into a home where a pizza and movie party was going on, opened fire, and killed six. The bizarre shootings took place about 2:45 a.m. at a home in Crandon, a town of about 2,000 people 220 miles north of Milwaukee, Wisconsin. A man hunt took place for several hours afterward where Tyler Peterson was later shot to death by police.
School yearbook and made available by WJFW-TV in Rhinelander, Wis. shows Tyler Peterson. Peterson, an off-duty sheriff’s deputy went on a shooting rampage early Sunday Oct. 7, 2007 at a home where seven young people had gathered for pizza and movies, killing six and critically injuring the other before authorities took him down, officials said. (AP Photo/WJFW-TV)
School Superintendent Richard Peters told The Associated Press that three local high school students were killed and another three who died had graduated within the past year. After a manhunt lasting several hours, Peterson was tracked down by his fellow officers. “There are six deceased inside that residence,” Police Chief John Dennee told reporters. “The subject was located by law enforcement officers. The subject is deceased and is no longer a threat to the public.” (CNN)
What would possess someone who was considered a “good kid” and seemingly never showed any signs of violence to do such a heinous act? Many of the facts are still sketchy at this point; however, there are some theories.
While it was unclear what the gunman’s motive was, the mother of one victim said he may have been a jealous boyfriend. “I’m waiting for somebody to wake me up right now,” said Jenny Stahl, 39, the mother of 14-year-old Lindsey Stahl, who was killed in the shooting. “This is a bad, bad dream. All I heard it was a jealous boyfriend and he went berserk. He took them all out.”
Maybe the answers to what transpired or what Tyler Peterson said prior to the shooting will be learned from the one survivor who is presently in critical condition.
UPDATE I: Wisconsin cop snapped after being called a ‘worthless pig’
Six innocent people dead and a suspect as well because a person could not take rejection and being called a name? What has this world come to? This is just another example of the young people of society not understanding the severity or the consequences of their actions. Nothing so petty as being called a name in life is worth killing over. Also, no relationship is worth ending anothers life either. It could also be stated that provoking a person “on the edge” and making humiliating comments may also not be the right move either.
A young sheriff’s deputy who opened fire on a pizza party and killed six people flew into a rage when he was rebuffed by his old girlfriend – and others called him a “worthless pig.”
A longtime friend told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel yesterday that 20-year-old Tyler Peterson came to his door in the hours after the rampage and calmly explained what he had done.
“He wasn’t running around crazy or anything. He was very, very sorry for what he did,” Mike Kegley told the paper, adding that he gave Peterson coffee and food and then called 911.
Peterson told Kegley that he had gone to his ex-girlfriend’s house early Sunday morning in hopes of patching up the relationship after a recent breakup.
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15 Responses to “Shooting Rampage by Tyler Peterson Off Duty Sheriff’s Deputy Kills 6 in Crandon, WI (Update: “Worthless Pig”)”
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How terribly sad..
This fellow must have been metally ill to do such a violent act.
How can anyone explain this as jealousy?
I think the word for it is “temporarily insane”.
A mentally ill person is not, usually, capable of making it through the rigorous training that one has to endure in order to become a police officer. Jealousy can make you do some pretty horrible things while it has you in its’ grip.
My thoughts and prayers are with the families of the deceased and the lone survivor. May God give you the strength you need to make it through this terrible ordeal. Try to live with a sense of eternity in your heart and it won’t be long before you’re rejoined with your loved ones.
Come one folks we’re in the america where you are allowed to go to war before you can drink in a bar. I can carry a gun but I can’t walk the streets with a beer can. Of course this is going to happen, and this is only the beginning if we don’t shape up our ways we are all going to kill each other like we’re killing the people in Iraq.
Jason Smith:
I agree. Guns should not be put into the hands of people who, like you said, aren’t even old enough to drink beer. But, what are we to do when we are talking about a young man, who by all pretenses, was a good kid and who had completed all the requirements to become a deputy sheriff?
Maybe we need to look at maturity not just in the way a person carries himself but; in years and experience. Both in choosing cadets for police work and in sending soldiers into battle. The Viet Nam war taught us the effects of having young men serve in active service. Many, not all, but a good portion suffered from post traumatic syndrome. And I would suspect the Gulf war will produce many of the same.
It would be nice if we, as a nation, sheltered our young men more than we do.
“A mentally ill person is not, usually, capable of making it through the rigorous training that one has to endure in order to become a police officer.”
Perhaps. but many people who are dishonorably discharged from the military and have abused their spouses become cops.
I’m not saying this guy should be given a pass I’m just saying cops are just like any other segment of the population, maybe just a little more aggressive.
But which comes first:
The military service or
The mental illness?
Not to get too far off the subject, this young man, as far as I know, never served in the military. And had he suffered from mental illness, he would not have been known for being such a nice guy, there would have been indicators, especially at his age.
I think he just snapped.
P.S.
Just to make sure we’re talking about the same thing, Joe. Spousal abuse does not necessarily indicate mental illness… more likely an abuser has a personality disorder.
The mentally ill, very rarely, are able to hold down a job or conduct everyday things that you and I take for granted. Again, generally speaking, they could not handle the pressure of cadet training or anything remotely as rigorous as that.
Mental illness is far more severe than any personality disorder and usually requires medication and monitoring.
But, there are such things as nervous breakdowns where a person temporarily loses touch with reality and is overcome with emotion. You don’t have to have a history of any kind of personality disorder or mental illness to experience a breakdown.
Had he not had a gun, those kids would probably still be alive.
Firstly, I would like to say that many people with mental illness can still be known as ‘a nice guy’, can still hold complex jobs, and function in society. These people have learned to adapt and live with their mental disorder. They have learned coping mechanisms, and may also require long term medication to allow them to do so. However, this boy may have been deteriorating for some time – gradually and imperceptably (to those who didnt know him intimately), becoming more unstable over a period of time. There are many forms of mental illness, and they’re not always as obvious as a sign on someones forehead.
What was a 14-year-old girl doing at a party at 2:45 in the morning? On a school night? Where boys much older were present? Where were the parents?
More evidence of the consequences of establishing low standards for public servants.
Well, here’s the latest…
Insult Fueled Deputy’s Rampage at Party
By ROBERT IMRIE,AP
Posted: 2007-10-08 21:20:29
Filed Under: Nation News
CRANDON, Wis. (Oct. 8) – A young sheriff’s deputy who opened fire on a pizza party and killed six people reportedly flew into a rage when he was rebuffed by his old girlfriend, and others at the gathering called him a “worthless pig.”
A longtime friend told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel on Monday that 20-year-old Tyler Peterson came to his door in the hours after the rampage and calmly explained what he had done.
“He wasn’t running around crazy or anything. He was very, very sorry for what he did,” Mike Kegley told the newspaper, adding that he gave Peterson coffee and food and later called 911.
Peterson told Kegley that he had gone to his ex-girlfriend’s house early Sunday morning in hopes of patching up the relationship after a recent breakup. But, he said, Peterson lost control when the meeting ended in an argument and other people started ridiculing him as a “worthless pig.”
Kegley declined to comment when reached by The Associated Press.
Police, who declined to provide details of the argument, said Peterson stormed out, retrieved an AR-15 rifle from his car outside and burst back into the house firing 30 shots that killed all but one of the people at the party.
“We had no idea, obviously, that anything like this would ever occur,” Crandon Police Chief John Dennee said at a news conference Monday.
Peterson, a deputy and part-time police officer, later died after exchanging gunfire with law enforcement officers. Whether Peterson was shot by police or took his own life was unclear.
The rampage raised questions in the remote northern Wisconsin community of 2,000 about how Peterson could have met requirements to become a law enforcement officer, especially after police acknowledged Monday that Peterson received no psychological screening before he was hired.
Some questioned the wisdom of hiring someone so young.
“No person that I’ve ever known at 20 years old was responsible enough to be a police officer,” said Steve Bocek, of Oak Creek, whose nephew Bradley Schultz was killed. “It’s unbelievable. You don’t have the mind to be a police officer. It takes a lot.”
But Crandon city attorney Lindsay Erickson said age doesn’t matter as long as officers do their jobs well. Peterson testified for her in several cases. He wrote good reports and was “true to his job,” she said.
“From what I saw of him, I didn’t see any warning signs or red flags,” Erickson said.
Peterson was hired as full-time deputy sheriff on Sept. 11, 2006, at the age of 19, according to personnel records released by the Forest County clerk. His yearlong probation ended last month.
Dr. Phil Trompetter, a police psychologist in Modesto, Calif., estimated at least 80 percent of states require psychological testing of prospective officers.
“Wisconsin must be in a very small minority of states,” he said.
The Wisconsin Department of Justice Law Enforcement Standards Board requires only that applicants be free of any emotional or mental condition that might hinder them in their duties. It does not say how that is determined.
No formal national standards exist for hiring police, although individual states are adopting requirements such as mandatory psychological tests, said Craig Zendzian, author of several guidebooks for police applicants.
In Minnesota, for example, police officers must be licensed by the state Board of Peace Officer Standards and Training – a process that includes an evaluation by a licensed psychologist.
At the news conference, which gave the most detailed explanation yet of the shooting , the police chief said Peterson and the young woman had been in a relationship for a few years.
“They had broken up and gone back and forth,” Dennee said.
After the attack, in phone conversations with the police chief and others, Peterson identified himself as the shooter, authorities said.
The rifle used in the shootings is the type used by the sheriff’s department, but investigators had not confirmed whether the gun came from law enforcement.
The six young people killed in the rampage were either students or graduates of Crandon High School. They were at the house to share pizza and watch movies during the school’s homecoming weekend. Classes were canceled Monday, and many teens went to a church to meet with counselors.
The other victims were identified as Jordanne Murray, who was believed to be the girlfriend; Katrina McCorkle; Leanna Thomas; Aaron Smith; and Lindsey Stahl. Autopsies were scheduled to be completed Monday, but results were not immediately available.
Schultz, 20, was a third-year criminal justice major at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee who hoped to be a homicide detective. He was home visiting friends and appeared to have died trying to protect one.
“We still don’t have many details, but from what they’ve told us, there was a girl next to him and he was covering her, protecting her,” said an aunt, Sharon Pisarek, as she sobbed. “He was loved by everybody. He was everybody’s son. Senseless.”
The lone survivor, Charlie Neitzel, 21, of Pickerel, was upgraded to serious condition and was improving Monday at a hospital.
Pastor Bill Farr read a statement from Peterson’s family in which relatives expressed their shock and sorrow.
“Our hearts go out to the victims, their families and their friends. We are grieving for your losses. We feel a tremendous amount of guilt and shame for the acts Tyler committed,” it said.
It continued: “We may never receive the answers we all seek. Like those close to Tyler we are in shock and disbelief that he would do such terrible things. This was not the Tyler we knew and loved.”
Welp… it appears that this young man was not put through the rigorous training required by most states to become a police officer… not that he wouldn’t have passed.
In my opinion, this young man was a perfectionist and an over-achiever. To be called “worthless” by a girl that he was trying to impress, was bad enough. But to be called a “worthless pig” by the whole group of people was more than he could bear and he snapped. Questioning everything that he had done to achieve his authoritive status and the reason for his, even, trying sent him into a rage. He felt like a fool.
Not to make excuses for him, but I would hope that we are raising our children with better values than to call names and push peoples buttons in a situation that has nothing to do with them… especially knowing that the young man had access to weapons.
.
Loving: You say that people with mental disease are able to function in complex jobs and I still disagree with you. Please explain to me what you consider to be a mental disease.
I’m not sure what you think the term mental illness encompasses, or what form of knowledge you base your opinions on. According to the DSM IV (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders) mental disorder is in fact an umbrella term which includes many forms of disorder, such as Axis I: depression (which can develop into a psychosis), bipolar disorder, schizophrenia (Axis I), and Axis II: personality disorders including cluster A) odd, eccentric, B) dramatic, emotional or erratic, and C) anxious or fearful. I believe that discrimination against people with mental disorders continues to be the worst obstacle for these people. When society assumes, in its ignorance, that people with a mental disorder cant be ‘nice’ or hold down jobs… what hope do they have of recovering or learning to cope sufficiently to live full lives?
Please don’t misunderstand me – people who are emotionally unstable (as this man obviously was – mentally disordered or not) should not hold positions of such authority. However, I personally do not think he was mentally ill.
What you have described are mental disorders. Certainly, SOME of the people suffereing from these disorders would be able to function, but, certainly, not all of them. It would depend on the severity of their disorder… as there are varying degrees among each and every one of those disorders you listed out.
The statement made in your last sentence was the point that I was making in this particular case. Only I went even further to state that, perhaps, this young man had no disorder, or disease, at all; but meerly, snapped or had a nervous breakdown… resulting in what we used to call temporary insanity.
Is it possible for a completely, emotionally stable person to have a nervous breakdown?
I have to do this for a project for Criminal Justice. I completely disagree with the idea that they were only having a “pizza party.” As Jeff was saying. That is just complete crap. I am a teenager and I know what is on all of our minds, and that is for certain not pizza parties… I think they were partying and things got out of control after a couple of people called Tyler a worthless pig. I don’t think Tyler had any mental illness at all, as Patti was saying, people CAN and WILL lose contol sometime in their life. It is apparent that Tyler lost his control, just in a more abusive way then most. I also know what it feels like to be put down in front of everyone, and especially if it has to do with the opposite sex or relationships. I also think that if Tyler had been invlolved in drinking, that would definitely affect his decision. I am not sure if he had been drinking or not, but I do think that something was factored in.
I also had a question, I had been looking through websites to find out how he did die, and I have got a couple of different answers, some are saying that Tyler shot himself as he was cornered by the police, and some say that the police shot him to death. So if someone could clarify that for me that would be great!