Tyler Michael Sadowski was a 20-year-old man whose life ended in a violent domestic shooting in Barron, Wisconsin, on October 1, 2025. Tyler was born on October 24, 2004, to Gina Sadowski and Shannon Cornelius and was only weeks away from his next birthday. He had attended Chetek-Weyerhaeuser School and was remembered by his family as kindhearted, caring, and someone who readily helped others.
He enjoyed ice fishing and family gatherings, had participated in Boy Scouts, worked at Norm's Café, helped care for his mother, and frequently did handyman work for relatives and friends.
The events that led to Tyler's death unfolded at an apartment at 650 Candy Lane in the City of Barron. Investigators determined that 17-year-old Marcus Hinojosa of Almena was inside the apartment that afternoon. Hinojosa was in a relationship with Tyler's younger sister, Makayla Sadowski, who was also 17 and pregnant. At approximately 2 p.m., members of the Sadowski family arrived at the apartment. Makayla entered the residence, and authorities said Hinojosa shot her after she went inside.
Tyler and a neighbor then approached the apartment to check on Makayla and determine whether she was safe. According to the Barron County Sheriff's Department's investigation, Hinojosa fired through the entry door, striking Tyler. Tyler was fatally wounded and was pronounced dead at the scene. His family's account described his actions as an attempt to protect his sister, saying that he stepped in when she was in danger and lost his life while trying to help her.
A 911 call brought law enforcement to the apartment within minutes. As a Barron County sheriff's deputy approached the residence, the deputy heard another gunshot from inside. Officers from the Barron Police Department and Barron County Sheriff's Department secured and cleared the apartment and found Hinojosa suffering from what authorities determined was a self-inflicted gunshot wound. Emergency personnel attempted lifesaving measures, and Hinojosa was transported for medical treatment, but he later died from the injury.
Makayla survived the attack and was hospitalized. Her pregnancy was far enough along that her baby had to be delivered because of the injuries she suffered in the shooting. In the days afterward, her family reported that she was in stable condition and that the baby was doing well in the hospital. The shooting therefore left Tyler dead, his sister seriously wounded, and the suspected shooter mortally wounded by his own gunfire.
The case also drew additional attention because authorities learned that graphic video connected with the shooting had been posted to Snapchat. The Barron County Sheriff's Department said it was working with Snapchat to have the material removed, and school officials warned families that students might have encountered the disturbing footage online. A later law-enforcement update stated that the video had been taken by Hinojosa.
Hinojosa was publicly identified by authorities as the suspect responsible for shooting Makayla and killing Tyler. Because Hinojosa died from the self-inflicted gunshot wound following the attack, there was no arrest, criminal prosecution, trial, or conviction in Tyler's killing. The investigation instead established the sequence of events and identified Hinojosa as the person responsible before his death. For Tyler's family, the case was remembered less for the violence that ended his life than for what he did in his final moments: going toward danger because his sister needed help.
