Three dead, including armed suspect, after Kewaskum home invasion, police say

KEWASKUM — An armed suspect and two neighbors are dead following a shoot-out with police and a home invasion into a Kewaskum resident's home Wednesday evening, authorities say.

The Washington County Sheriff, Martin R. Schulteis, writes in a statement that a home invasion and attempted vehicle theft is what led to the massive police presence in the area of West Bend, concerning locals and leading to several road closures.

Schulteis writes that around 2:50 p.m., deputies and Kewaskum police responded to a house in the 8100 Block of Forest View Road, where a 911 caller reported that the suspect had broken into the home and demanded keys to a vehicle.

Just minutes later, a neighbor also called 911, who said they heard gunshots and observed an armed person walking towards their home.

When law enforcement arrived, Chief Schulteis says officers and the suspect exchanged gunfire. The suspect then ran away.

Law enforcement, dressed in tactical gear and armed with long-guns, formed a perimeter around the area and a drone was deployed.

The drone soon found a person matching the suspect's description a short distance north of the initial encounter with law enforcement. There, officers found the suspect dead from an apparent gunshot wound. A gun was found next to him.

Sheriff Schulteis did not directly state that the suspect died from the gunshots fired by law enforcement, but the Department of Justice is investigating because officers opened fire towards the suspect.

Other deputies responding to the incident then found a second deceased person outside the initial 911 caller's residence. A witness said the resident had been shot by the armed suspect before law enforcement arrived.

After further investigation, law enforcement located an additional citizen dead of an apparent gunshot wound at a separate residence.

Nearby roadways will remain closed during the investigation, though there is no longer any threat to the community, the sheriff says. Drivers are asked to avoid the area.

The Washington County Sheriff’s Office is investigating the death of the local residents. The Wisconsin Department of Justice Division of Criminal Investigation has also been requested by the Sheriff’s Office to investigate law enforcement’s shooting of the suspect.

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