On a Saturday morning in Brookfield, Wisconsin, a peaceful church service turned into a scene of terror and tragedy. On March 12, 2005, Gerald A. Miller, a 44-year-old man from Erin, was attending a service of the Living Church of God, held in a conference room at a local Sheraton Hotel. He was seated in the congregation when a fellow church member, 44-year-old Terry Ratzmann, entered the room and opened fire on the attendees.
The gunman, reportedly upset by a sermon given two weeks
earlier, unleashed a barrage of bullets from a 9mm handgun. Within a minute, he had fired 22 rounds, creating a scene of chaos and devastation. Miller was one of seven individuals who lost their lives in the attack. The other victims included the church's pastor, his 16-year-old son, and four other members of the congregation. Four other people were wounded in the rampage.
The assailant, Terry Ratzmann of New Berlin, acted alone in his violent outburst. After carrying out the mass shooting, Ratzmann turned the gun on himself, taking his own life at the scene. The investigation that followed pointed towards his anger over a recent sermon as the primary motive for his actions. The incident left the community in shock and mourning the senseless loss of life. There were no other suspects and no arrests were made as the perpetrator was deceased.
