A shooting in Crandon has left seven young people dead, including the alleged perpetrator. Crandon Police Chief John Dennee says a report of gunshots came in from a Crandon residence at 2:27 Sunday morning. The gunman is identified as a 20 year old Forest County sheriff's deputy Tyler Peterson, who also worked part time for the Crandon police department.
The Crandon school district is closed Monday. Superintendent Richard Peters said three of the victims were students, and three others had graduated in recent years. “The kids that were the victims are people that we have patted on the backs, that we've encouraged, smiled in the halls with, bantered back in forth with,” says Peters, adding that this is the kind of scenario every small town says could never happen. Grief counseling is available for all students and families beginning at ten this morning at the praise chapel in Crandon.
Crandon resident Tracy Doane says it was an awful thing to wake up to. “There's just no words to explain it,” says Doane.”It's going to bring our community closer, because that's what Crandon is all about.” Lorainne Bellomy says her 16 year old son was at the homecoming party, but he left before the shooting happened about an hour earlier. “He's havng a really hard time with this right now,” says Bellomy. “Those were his friends.” The Department of Criminal Investigation of the State Justice Department is heading up the investigation.