Atty: County to deny shooting claims

A northern Wisconsin county will deny claims filed against it by the families of six young people killed and another injured in an off-duty deputy sheriff's shooting rampage, a county attorney said Tuesday.

Notices of claim were filed Monday with Forest County, the first step in a possible wrongful death lawsuit alleging that negligence by Tyler Peterson's employers contributed to the tragedy last October, Corporation Counsel Paul Payant said.

Four victims' estates or parents are seeking money from the county, and the lone survivor is seeking compensation for his injuries. Similar claims were filed with the city of Crandon, where Peterson also worked.

The claims, which named Crandon Police Chief John Dennee and Forest County Sheriff Keith Van Cleve as defendants, seek a total of more than $5 million in damages.

Payant said the Forest County sheriff's department had no knowledge that Peterson was capable of causing such a tragedy.

"This is something that I don't think anybody could predict," Payant said.

Payant said that once the claims are denied by the county board of supervisors, the next step is for the families to file a wrongful death lawsuit.

The father of a fifth victim filed a similar notice last week, alleging the same negligence by the law enforcement agencies and keeping open the option of filing a formal claim seeking specific damages later.

Crandon's city attorney has denied comment on what the city might do next, and did not immediately return a telephone message Tuesday.

Authorities say Peterson, 20, went to an all-night pizza party in the early morning hours of Oct. 7 and killed the six people, including his ex-girlfriend. Peterson later killed himself as police closed in, officials said.