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Monday, October 8, 2007

SEVEN DEAD IN WISCONSIN AFTER DEPUTY OPENS FIRE



CHICAGO (Reuters) - A sheriff's deputy shot and killed six young people in the northern Wisconsin town of Crandon before being killed himself after a manhunt, according to media reports on Sunday, quoting police and witnesses.

The Forest County Sheriff's Department said seven people were dead, including the shooter, Tyler Peterson, 20, according to media reports.

Five of the victims ranged in age from 14 to 20, and the age was not available on a sixth, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported on its Web site.

Another victim was in critical condition, the newspaper reported.

Peterson, who was accused of storming into his ex-girlfriend's house, was shot by the Crandon SWAT team, the newspaper said. Peterson's former long-time girlfriend was among the dead, it said.

Authorities responded to reports of shots fired at about 3 a.m., the newspaper said.

The investigation was being handled by the state Department of Criminal Investigation because a local law enforcement officer was involved. Peterson was a Forest County sheriff's deputy and part-time police officer in the city of Crandon, the newspaper said.

Local authorities released little information on the killings.

Crandon, a town of about 2,000 people, is about 180 miles north of Milwaukee.

(Reporting by Susan Kelly)

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