Lawsuit filed by Crandon shooting victim, parents
CRANDON, Wis. - The lone survivor and parents of four young people killed in a shooting rampage by an off-duty deputy have filed a multimillion dollar civil lawsuit accusing top law enforcement leaders of negligence.
The lawsuit filed in Forest County Circuit Court claims authorities knew Deputy Tyler Peterson, 20, had a history of violence, failed to properly supervise him, gave him too much decision-making responsibility and wrongly gave him access to weapons.
Peterson was also a part-time Crandon policeman, and the lawsuit names Crandon Police Chief John Dennee, Forest County Sheriff Keith Van Cleve and their insurance companies as defendants.
The plaintiffs include the lone survivor, Charlie Neitzel.
Peterson killed his one-time girlfriend Jordanne Murray and five others during a party at her home in Crandon on Oct. 7, 2007. Authorities have said Peterson was angered by the idea that Murray was dating someone else, and when she demanded he leave her home, he retrieved an AR-15 assault rifle he was issued as a member of the Forest County Sheriff's SWAT team, broke down the door and fired at least 30 shots.
He killed Murray, 18; Bradley Schultz, 20; Lindsey Stahl, 14; Aaron Smith, 20; Lianna Thomas, 18; and Katrina McCorkle, 18. Neitzel, 21, was shot three times but survived by playing dead.
Peterson shot himself hours later after police efforts to get him to surrender failed.
The parents of Schultz, Thomas, Stahl and McCorkle joined Neitzel in the lawsuit.
According to the lawsuit, Dennee and Van Cleve had been warned that Peterson was a "violent person and a danger," and they knew that Peterson had abused Murray.