The Marinette County Sheriff's Department has identified a suspect in Thursday night's shooting that killed three teens near Niagara. Chief Deputy Jerry Sauve said 38 year-old Scott J. Johnson of Iron Mountain, Michigan surrendered to officers near Niagra Friday morning, after a massive overnight search. Johnson's motives for the slaughter are a mystery. "It is unclear if there is any motive, or connection to the victims by the suspect," said Sauve. The slaughter scene is a railroad bridge over the Menominee River near Niagara, where a group of young people were apparently swimming.
Sauve said Johnson, clad in camouflage and armed with a military type assault rifle, surrendered after a massive overnight search by up to 100 officers. "He had nothing to say" to the officers who arrested him this morning, according to Sauve. "He complied with the orders to get on the ground and be taken into custody." The shooting victims are identified as 17 year-old Tiffany Pohlson, 18 year-old Anthony Spigarelli and 19 year-old Bryan Mort, who were all killed. Twenty year-old Daniel Louis Gordon was wounded. All were from Michigan. Sauve says the injured Gordon and a fifth young person managed to escape, and that neither knew who their assailant was.
"We are quite confident that we have who we were looking for," said Sauve, adding that residents who'd been evacuated during the course of their overnight search were being allowed to return home. Sauve said the search included about 100 officers from numerous agencies, including the Marinette and Lincoln County Sheriffs Departments, Niagara Police Department and the Wisconsin State Patrol, which also supplied an aircraft.
AUDIO: Press conference (15:00 MP3)
