ASHWAUBENON, Wis. (NewsNation Now) — The man suspected of shooting three people, two of them fatally, at a Wisconsin entertainment complex Saturday was a former employee of a restaurant there, law enforcement said Monday.
Brown County Sheriff Todd Delain said that man, Bruce Pofahl, 62, worked at Duck Creek Kitchen and Bar on the Oneida Reservation until he was fired earlier this year. His employers told him not to come back to the restaurant when he was terminated.
All three victims were current employees of the same restaurant.
Delain said Pofahl shot two of them, Ian Simpson, 32, and Jacob Bartel, 35, at close range with a 9 mm gun in the restaurant in front of some 50 patrons. Both of them died.
He shot his third victim, Daniel Mulligan, 28, outside the complex afterwards. Delain said police shot and killed Pofahl “very quickly” after that. He said the “entire incident” was over in 10 minutes.
Mulligan is in serious but stable condition at a Milwaukee hospital.
The complex in Ashwaubenon, Wisconsin is large, and includes the Radisson Hotel and Oneida Casino, as well as several banquet halls. It’s located on tribal land across the road from Green Bay’s international airport. The Oneida Reservation sits on two counties on the west side of Green Bay’s metro area.
Delain said his investigators were still working to figure out the motive. He said around 75 different agencies responded.
Gov. Tony Evers issued a statement late Saturday saying he was “devastated” to hear about the shooting.
“Our hearts, thoughts, and support go out to the Oneida Nation, the Ashwaubenon and Green Bay communities, and all those affected by this tragedy.”
“As our neighbors reel from senseless violence here in northeast Wisconsin tonight, my heart goes out to our community,” said Rep. Jim Steineke. “I have reached out to Chairman Hill and offered my assistance to help support the Oneida Nation during this difficult time. I am incredibly thankful for the swift action of our law enforcement, who were able to apprehend the shooter quickly. My prayers are with the impacted families as we await more information.”
Sean Noone and Aleksandra Bush contributed to this report.