WILLMAR, MN (trfnews.i234.me) – A shooting spree that began in Minneapolis ended near Willmar on Tuesday with one man dead and another wounded. According to authorities, 55-year-old Jerome Skluzacek of New London was fatally shot during an attempted carjacking on Highway 23.
Earlier, the suspect reportedly shot 25-year-old Peter Mayerchak at a rural home in Lake Lillian. The alleged shooter is a 25-year-old man from Minneapolis who is currently being held in the Kandiyohi County Jail on probable cause second-degree murder.
The incident began when MPD officers were dispatched to a domestic violence call at an apartment building, where shots had been fired from an apartment balcony but no one was hurt. Crisis negotiators attempted to reach the suspect by phone but were unable to convince him to surrender.
Law enforcement officials say the alleged gunman shot and wounded Mayerchak before leading them on a high-speed chase. When he got near Willmar, law enforcement said the suspect shot and killed Skluzacek in an attempted carjacking.
Kandiyohi County Sheriff Eric Tollefson and several of his deputies were witnesses to the fatal shooting but will not comment on the case publicly. The sheriff’s office says that the incident highlights the risks faced by law enforcement officers who respond to emergency situations.
The investigation remains ongoing, with authorities trying to understand the motivations behind the suspect’s actions.
I’m Chris Harper reporting for trfnews.i234.me