In the days leading up to Christmas, a tragedy unfolded in a quiet neighborhood in West Allis, a suburb of Milwaukee, Wisconsin. On December 23, 2021, which was also her 27th birthday, Lauren Storts, a White/Caucasian female, was found deceased in her home. Concerns for her welfare were raised by her family when she failed to pick up her young daughter and was uncharacteristically absent from social media.
This prompted them to request that authorities perform a welfare check at her residence.
Upon entering the home near 93rd and Greenfield, police discovered a grim scene. Lauren was found with fatal gunshot wounds. Alongside her was the body of 41-year-old Donovan Hansen, who also had a fatal gunshot wound that appeared to be self-inflicted. Investigators concluded that the incident was a murder-suicide, believing that Hansen had shot and killed Lauren before taking his own life. The investigation indicated that this was an isolated event, with no further threat to the public.
The events that transpired on that day were foreshadowed by a troubled history. Just days before the murder-suicide, Hansen had been arrested on charges related to domestic violence, including disorderly conduct, criminal damage to property, and dissuading a victim from reporting. Lauren had reportedly been making plans to end her relationship with Hansen. Remembered by her family as a loving mother to her young daughter, a dedicated student at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, and a hardworking employee in the restaurant industry, her death was a profound loss to those who knew her.
