In the early morning hours of October 7, 2007, a homecoming party in Crandon, Wisconsin, turned into a scene of unimaginable horror. Katrina Mccorkle, a 17-year-old White female, was among a group of friends gathered for a night of pizza and movies. The cheerful atmosphere was shattered when 20-year-old Tyler James Peterson, an off-duty Forest County sheriff's deputy and part-time Crandon police officer, forced his way into the residence.
An argument had reportedly taken place earlier, after which Peterson left, only to return with a rifle.
What followed was a brutal and systematic attack. Peterson opened fire, moving through the apartment and shooting the young people inside. In total, he fired approximately 30 rounds. Six individuals, including Katrina Mccorkle, lost their lives in the rampage. The other deceased victims were Jordanne Michele Murray, 18, who was Peterson's ex-girlfriend; Aaron Smith, 20; Bradley Schultz, 20; Lianna Thomas, 17; and Lindsey Stahl, 14. A seventh victim was critically injured but survived by pretending to be dead.
After the massacre, Peterson fled the scene. A manhunt ensued, and he was eventually located at a friend's cabin in Argonne, about seven miles away. He held his friends hostage for a period before attempting to flee into the woods. While initial reports were unclear, it was later determined that Peterson died by suicide. He sustained a gunshot wound to the arm from a police sniper, but the fatal injuries were self-inflicted. He shot himself three times with his Glock pistol. The motive for the horrific act was believed to be a dispute with his former girlfriend, Jordanne Murray. The small community of Crandon was left reeling from the loss of so many young lives at the hands of one of their own law enforcement officers.
