SAUK COUNTY, Wis. (WKOW) — The Sauk County Sheriff's Office has identified the suspect and the victim in Friday's homicide in the Town of Baraboo.
The victim is Susan Paul, 80, of Prairie du Sac.
The suspect is George Paul, 80, of Prairie du Sac. He remains in custody in the Sauk County Jail. Criminal charges had not been filed against him as of Monday morning.
Authorities said George shot and killed Susan at Pewit's Nest, a nature preserve outside of Baraboo, on Friday afternoon. They said George then went to the Sauk Prairie Police Department and fired shots into the building. No one inside was hurt.
Sauk Prairie Police Chief Josh Sherman said two staff members were inside the building at the time.
"They are not police officers, but they are an important part of my law enforcement family," Sherman said on social media. "These staff members remained calm and composed as they identified the threat at our front door and immediately contacted the on-duty patrol officer and detective, who were away from the office at the time."
Sherman said he's not allowed to talk about details of the investigation, but can comment on the response of his staff.
Two officers made it to the area of the police station in less than a minute and were able to take Paul into custody, Sherman reported.
"I am grateful for the actions of the members of the Sauk Prairie Police Department who responded to this incident," Sherman said. "Their response was rapid, professional, and measured. The officers placed themselves in harm’s way to stop a threat to our community and did so without further loss of life.
He added, "I am proud of the efforts of both our sworn officers and civilian staff. Their actions exemplified courage, professionalism, and dedication to public safety. They will be recognized in the future for their meritorious service in response to this incident."
Sherman also credited the villages of Prairie du Sac and Sac City for their leadership in allowing safety and security to be top of mind when building new law enforcement facilities.
"Those safety features played a significant role in protecting our civilian staff members and preventing further harm during this incident," Sherman said.
The Sauk County Sheriff's Office said the investigation remains active.
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