KEWASKUM — A home invasion followed by a shootout in Kewaskum left three people dead, including the suspect, according to the Washington County sheriff.
The center of the sheriff’s investigation Thursday was outside of a home on Forest View Rd. where neighbors said a man was shot and killed by an intruder. The sheriff’s office learned there was a second victim killed in the neighborhood after searching the area.
People who live in a rural neighborhood in Washington County were left stunned after a man targeted several homes Wednesday afternoon. The sheriff said two innocent residents were murdered in the process.
“They’re nice people, nobody deserves it,” said Jeff Wala.
Wala said he was at work at the time, but his wife was home when she saw SWAT teams swarm the neighborhood.
Deputies rushed to the scene after a 911 caller said an armed man broke into their home and took their car keys. The sheriff said deputies found a man dead outside the home.
Wala later learned the suspect crashed his car on their block and went door-to-door searching for vehicles to steal.
“The lady’s daughter across the street was leaving her house and she got carjacked when she went past and he pushed her in the snow and tried to take off with her car,” Wala said.
Wala said the suspect stole the woman’s car and immediately crashed it. Other neighbors said they watched in fear as the man ran into the woods.
The sheriff said deputies got into a shootout with the suspect. A law enforcement drone found him dead.
While SWAT officers were searching for evidence Wednesday night, they discovered a second victim on his property dead from a gunshot wound.
The sheriff’s office hasn’t released the suspect’s or victims’ names yet.
The state’s Department of Criminal Investigations is investing the suspect’s death because officers shot at him.
