Shootings near Chippewa Falls leave 5 dead, 2 injured
When neighbors called 911 after hearing rapid gunshots Sunday night, Chippewa County sheriff’s deputies discovered two people shot to death and two more suffering from gunshot wounds.
A man and a woman were dead in a home in the northwestern Wisconsin community of Lake Hallie. Two other adults — their names, genders and ages were not released Monday — were taken to a hospital, according to a release from the Chippewa County Sheriff’s Department.
The suspected shooter was among the dead found in the Lake Hallie home after deputies arrived at 10:27 p.m. Sunday.
Around 2:30 a.m. deputies went to the suspect‘s Town of Lafayette home to notify family members of the death and found the bodies of three more homicide victims, one man, one woman and one boy.
“Around 2:30 we decided to make contact with family members of the shooter who was deceased,” Chippewa County Sheriff James Kowalczyk told WQOQ-TV (Channel 18). “We knocked on the door, received no answer, attempted to make call, again no answer. We forced our way in and found three other victims of a homicide.”
Lake Hallie is between Eau Claire and Chippewa Falls off the main artery of State Highway 53.
The sheriff declined to say whether the shooter’s wounds were self-inflicted and does not know a motive for the attacks.
Lt. Mark Bauman declined to reveal the connection between the shooter and the victims.
A resident told WEAUTV (Channel 13) she heard gunshots that at first she thought were fireworks.