Autopsy reports show the man who killed four people before taking his own life in northwestern Wisconsin last month fatally shot three of them, his family members, multiple times.
Chippewa County Coroner Ron Patten said Ritchie German Jr. shot his 66-year-old mother, Bridget German, five times in the head at her Lafayette townhome on the night of July 26 or early the following morning.
Patten said German’s 32-year-old brother, Douglas German, and his 8-year-old nephew, Calvin Harris, each were struck twice.
News with a little more humanity
WPR’s “Wisconsin Today” newsletter keeps you connected to the state you love without feeling overwhelmed. No paywall. No agenda. No corporate filter.
Their bodies were discovered early Monday morning when deputies went to the home to inform the family that German Jr. had fatally shot a 24-year-old woman in Lake Hallie and injured her parents before killing himself late Sunday night.
Patten told the Leader-Telegram German Jr. used a revolver to kill his relatives and a shotgun to kill Laile Vang and himself.
© Copyright 2025 by The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.







