On a tragic Tuesday, October 22, 2024, the life of Jerome Skluzacek, a 55-year-old White male from New London, Minnesota, was cut short in a violent rampage that spanned several counties. The events that led to his death began earlier that day in Minneapolis, approximately 90 miles to the east. A 25-year-old man, later identified as Ameer Matariyeh, allegedly initiated a violent spree following a domestic dispute. He reportedly fired shots from a Minneapolis apartment balcony at his ex-girlfriend and her new partner, neither of whom were injured.
Following the initial incident in Minneapolis, Matariyeh fled westward, leading to a multi-county pursuit. During his flight, he made contact with crisis negotiators by phone but refused to surrender. The chase took a more violent turn when he arrived at a rural home near Lake Lillian. There, he is accused of shooting and wounding 25-year-old Peter Mayerchak, who had reportedly approached the suspect's vehicle to greet him. Mayerchak sustained a gunshot wound to the chest but was reported to be in stable condition and is expected to survive.
The pursuit continued at high speeds, with Matariyeh at times reaching 130 mph and reportedly telling negotiators he was contemplating "suicide by cop". The tragic conclusion to the chase occurred on the Highway 71/23 bypass southeast of Willmar, where law enforcement had managed to disable the suspect's vehicle using OnStar. Matariyeh then exited his car and attempted to carjack a small green pickup truck driven by Jerome Skluzacek. In an act witnessed by the pursuing Kandiyohi County Sheriff and several deputies, Matariyeh fatally shot Skluzacek.
After shooting Skluzacek, Matariyeh ran into the highway median before surrendering to law enforcement. He was taken into custody at the scene, and a gun was recovered from a nearby ditch. Matariyeh, a resident of Minneapolis with a minor criminal record consisting of traffic violations and a petty misdemeanor for drug paraphernalia, was arrested and is being held in the Kandiyohi County Jail. He has since been charged with second-degree murder, attempted second-degree murder, assault, and fleeing a peace officer.
