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Gunman kills two at Wisconsin casino after finding his intended target wasn’t there, police say

Shooter appeared to have ‘a form of relationship that had to do with employment’ at the complex

Gino Spocchia
Sunday 02 May 2021 19:12 BST
The Oneida Casino in Wisconsin
The Oneida Casino in Wisconsin (AP)

Two people were killed and another seriously wounded in a shooting at a casino in Wisconsin, according to police.

Brown County sheriff’s lieutenant Kevin Pawlak said the shooting at the Oneida Casino and Radisson conference centre in Green Bay on Saturday appeared to be a targeted incident, and that the intended target was not at the casino.

Lt Pawlak said the suspect continued to “still shoot some of the victim’s friends or co-workers” in the absence of the intended target.

The gunman was thought to hold a form of “relationship that had to do with employment” at the Duck Creek restaurant attached to the Onedia Casino and Radisson conference centre, where the shooting occurred.

It is on the reservation of the Oneida Nation, who operate the casino, about four miles from Lambeau Field — the home of the NFL’s Green Bay Packers.

A witness to the shooting, Jawad Yatim, told the Associated Press that the suspect “was shooting pretty aggressively in the building” and that “for sure, two” were shot.

“We got the hell out of there,” he added. “Thank God we’re OK, but obviously we wish the best for everybody who’s been shot.”

Another witness, Max Westphal, told WBAY-TV that after being evacuated from the complex, “a massive flurry of gunshots — 20 to 30 gunshots for sure,” were heard.

“We took off running towards the highway,” he told the TV station. “There had to have been 50 cop cars that came by on the highway. It was honestly insane.”

Tehassi Hill, the chairman of Onedia, told WLUK-TV that firearms were forbidden on its properties but that “[mass shootings are] kind of a regular thing in this country.”

It is one of 11 tribes that operate casinos in Wisconsin thanks to agreements with the state.

The names of the individuals involved in the incident were not named on Sunday, and the wounded person was being treated at a Milwaukee hospital, according to Lt. Pawlak.

The Brown County sheriff’s office is appealing for information, and were scheduled to speak again at a press conference on Monday.

An investigation is ongoing.

Additional reporting by the Associated Press

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