Police: No motive known for Wisconsin killings
Gunman killed seven before killing himself at church service in hotel
 | |
| |
|  VIDEO |
 Brookfield police chief describes investigation.
 A church group shooting at a hotel leaves 8 dead.
|
RELATED |
• Suspect said to be 'average Joe'
|
|
MILWAUKEE, Wisconsin (CNN) -- Police said on Sunday they don't know why Terry Ratzmann, 44, burst into a Wisconsin church service and opened fire, killing seven people and then himself.
Ratzmann stopped to reload his handgun during his assault Saturday on the Living Church of God service at a Sheraton Hotel in Brookfield, police said.
No suicide note or other documents have been found, and there was nothing in his background "that would jump out, as to why he would have done this," said Brookfield police Capt. Phil Horter.
Church members and relatives have told authorities that Ratzmann was facing some employment issues, Horter said, and that his employment might be "coming to an end, or was scheduled to end, in the very near future."
Also, two weeks ago, Ratzmann apparently became angry at something that was said during a sermon and walked out of the room, Horter said.
Ratzmann entered the service about 20 minutes after it began, police said, and uttered nothing before pulling out the gun and opening fire. He shot 22 rounds, stopping to reload an additional magazine into the handgun.
A woman who witnessed the shootings, however, said Ratzmann did speak, telling worshippers he had three clips of ammunition and he intended to kill all of them -- and himself.
Some church members who knew Ratzmann confronted him, telling him to stop and asking him why he was shooting, Horter said. Ratzmann apparently did not reply, but fired a few more rounds before fatally shooting himself.
He was one of five people pronounced dead at the scene. Three others died later at a hospital, Brookfield police Chief Daniel Tushaus said.
The church's minister, Randy L. Gregory, 51, and his son, James Gregory, 16, of Gurnee, Illinois, died, along with Harold Diekmeier, 74, of Delafield; Richard Reeves, 58, of Cudahy; Bart Oliver, 15, of Waukesha; Gloria Critari, 55, of Cudahy; and Gerald A. Miller, 44, of Erin, The Associated Press reported.
Marjean Gregory, 52, of Gurnee, was hospitalized in critical condition and Matthew P. Kaulbach, 21, of Pewaukee and Angel M. Varichak of Helenville were hospitalized in satisfactory condition Sunday, a hospital spokeswoman told AP. A 10-year-old girl police identified as Lindsay also remained hospitalized.
The victims were in the same general area of the room, police said.
"This is a terrible tragedy," said a statement posted on the Charlotte, North Carolina-based Living Church of God Web site. "We are cooperating with the authorities to find out what happened."
Police executed a search warrant at Ratzmann's New Berlin home, where he lived with his mother and a sister. Among the items seized were three computers, Horter said, along with what police believe were the remaining bullets and a .22-caliber rifle.
"There is no evidence to lead us to any other suspect or individual," said Tushaus. "We have no evidence of a conspiracy or any organized plan."
Shane Colwell, a neighbor of Ratzmann's, said he spoke to Ratzmann a few times a week as they both worked in their yards.
"He was a completely average guy," Colwell told CNN.
He added that he has spoken to Ratzmann's mother, who he quoted as saying she was "just in shock and feels terrible for the victims."
Brookfield is a community of 38,823 people located about 15 miles west of Milwaukee.
CNN's Jonathan Freed contributed to this report.
Copyright 2005 CNN. All rights reserved.This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Associated Press contributed to this report.
