Local
West Bend community mourns four killed in East Washington Street home; suspect identified as retired Milwaukee police officer
Four people and a dog were found dead Saturday in a West Bend home, and sources say the suspect among the dead was a retired Milwaukee police officer. A girl was hospitalized and neighbors gathered Sunday to grieve.
WEST BEND, Wis. â Residents of a quiet West Bend neighborhood are struggling to process the deaths of four people found inside a home on East Washington Street, as investigators continue to piece together what happened.
Police were called to the home just before noon Saturday. Inside, officers found a woman, a man, a boy, a girl and a dog dead, according to West Bend police. First responders took another girl to the hospital. Lt. Brian McAndrews said everyone in the home was connected to one another.
Sources tell WISN 12 News that the suspect among the dead was a retired Milwaukee police officer. The department has not publicly confirmed that detail, and the suspect is not being named until West Bend police verify the identification.
West Bend police declined to confirm whether the incident was a murder-suicide. McAndrews said officers recovered a gun from inside the home that they believe was involved.
Dispatch audio from the scene captured the urgency of the initial call. "Caller is reporting that his mom's boyfriend shot his mom and a couple of his siblings," a dispatcher said, according to the audio.
On Sunday, dozens of people visited the property to leave flowers, balloons, candles and candy in memory of the victims. One man who came to pay his respects said the deaths of children hit him hard.
"(I) never thought anything like this would happen around here for real," he said. "It's kids. Like I heard kids and that just broke my heart for real."
He added that he did not know the victims personally. "I have no idea who those people are at all, I just have to show some respect to them," he said.
The investigation remains active. Anyone with information is asked to contact the West Bend Police Department at (262) 335-5000.
Resources are available for people affected by domestic violence. The National Domestic Violence Hotline can be reached at 800-799-7233, by texting "START" to 88788, or through its online chat.