CALEDONIA — On July 13, 22-year-old Anthony (Nino) Griger, of Elkhorn, was shot and killed in an act of violence at the Pilot Travel Center in Racine County.
Griger was putting gas into his vehicle just after 7:30 a.m. Tuesday when a man approached him and fatally shot him. Officials called it a "vicious execution".
Now, the community is rallying for his family in an effort to help offset funeral costs.
A GoFundMe has been set up that reads:
"On July 13, 2021, our beloved Anthony (Nino) Griger was taken from us in a shocking act of violence at the very young age of 22. There are no words to express the anguish and shock that all of Nino's family and friends are experiencing right now. We pray that he is at peace and in the loving arms of those who have gone before him. This is all so sudden and in just trying to do something to help out, I'm asking for donations to help offset the costs of a funeral that should never have had to have been planned. I know his parents, my cousin Tony and his wife Nina, would be thankful for anything. If you feel like I do and just don't know what to do, but want to do something, please consider this option."
So far more than $20,000 has been raised for the family. If you wish to donate you can visit the GoFundme here.
Some of the messages written on the GoFundMe Page include: “He was such a good person and I'm so thankful for having to have gotten to know him.” Along with, “Nino was a good kid, funny with a sharp wit. This is a terrible loss, he will be missed.”
Griger graduated from Franklin High School in 2017. The Racine County Sheriff’s Office says he’s from Elkhorn.
Police say after the suspect shot him, he attempted to shoot another person before he drove to another gas station and embarked on another shooting spree. An undercover investigator from the Racine Sheriff's Office was at that gas station, getting gas when the suspect began shooting at him. Both shot at each other and were hit, the suspect died from his injuries. The officer was taken to Ascension Racine, and will survive.
“This incident was kept from being even more tragic by the heroic actions of the officer,” said Village of Caledonia Police Chief Chris Botsch. “What happened here today in Caledonia was horrific.”
The suspect was identified as John R. McCarthy, 32. Police have not yet revealed the motive behind the shooting.
