Officials Investigating Motive In Wisconsin Deaths
CHIPPEWA FALLS, Wisc. (WCCO) --Investigators are trying to determine why a Wisconsin man killed three of his family members before going to a home where he killed a woman, shot two people, then fatally shot himself.
RELATED: WI Sheriff Releases ID Of Man Who Killed 4 In Chippewa Co.; Investigating Motive
Investigators say they found evidence that 33-year-old Ritchie German may have been trying to kidnap 24-year-old Laile Vang at her home in Lake Hallie.
"Family members are telling us that Ritchie is more or less a loner, has no friends," Chippewa County Sheriff James Kowalczyk said.
On Sunday night, in a Wisconsin home in the village of Lake Hallie, the locks were shot off the front door by German. He shot the couple that owned the home, 51-year-old Teng Vang and his wife Mai Chang Vang. He fatally shot their 24-year-old daughter Leile Vang before then killing himself.
Kowalczyk says German did not know the Vang family.
When police responded around 10:30 p.m. Sunday, they found a black 2016 Kia Sorento left running. They traced the car to German's brother, Douglas, at an address nine miles away in Lafayette. When police got to this house, they found three more bodies-- all relatives of German: his mother Bridgette, his brother Douglas, and his 8-year-old nephew Calvin.
"Why? What is the motive? What was the motive? Why did this happen? I don't have that answer," said Kowalcyzk. "We're working on that answer. That question may never be answered."
Although Sheriff Kowalcyzk does not know why German killed four people and then himself, he does think German may have originally planned an abduction, similar to what happened in Barron County last year.
"It was kind of similar in nature," he said. "In the Closs investigation, the door was breached. A shotgun was used. Mr. Closs was shot; Mrs. Closs was shot. Very fortunate in this case is that the Vangs are going to survive from their injuries. But it could have been very similar in nature as to what happened, and again-- I'm not saying that was the motive-- but again it's just unlikely that some of the same incidents up in Barron county happened in Chippewa county."
A GoFundMe has been set up to pay for medical costs for Mai and Teng, who are in critical care but stable condition, the site says.
The Chippewa County Sheriffs Office does not know where German was living before the shootings. They fear there could be more crime scenes out there and need more information from anyone who knew him. People can call the office at 715-726-7701.
