Police barricades outside Antigo High School (Photo: WXPR)
Bullying is a possible motive in Saturday’s prom-night shooting at Antigo High School. The gunman, 18-year-old Jakob Wagner, was shot and killed by police after he injured two students.
A former classmate, 19-year-old Emily Fisher, tells USA TODAY-Wisconsin that Wagner was “bullied a lot”. They graduated together in 2015. She said the bullying was severe while Wagner was in middle school and continued to a lesser degree in high school. Fisher said the bullying included name calling and taunting, and may have included violence.
Police have not commented on a motive.
The gunman’s home was searched on Sunday. Police believe he acted alone. The State Department of Justice will investigate the shooting. An initial statement said officers at the scene acted properly, and that the shooting of Wagner likely saved other lives. He died of his injuries at a nearby hospital early Sunday morning.
The two prom-goers who were wounded were a male student from Antigo High School and his date from the Madison area. Their injuries are not life threatening.
The shooting took place in the school parking lot around 11pm Saturday. The gunman traveled to the grounds on a bicycle with a rifle slung over his shoulder.
Classes resumed at Antigo High School on Monday morning with a heightened police presence. The school district also made counselors available for students. Parents were told they could keep their children home if they wished and the absence would be excused.