If you follow the news at all, you have probably now heard about the tragedy we have had this week here in Wheatland. There is a lot of bad information out there. This is what I am fairly certain of.
A man is accused of shooting his wife, brother and three sons. The wife is currently reported as in stable condition. Unfortunately, the brother and three sons passed away. Police were called to the home just before 6pm local time on Thursday. The accused was taken into custody "without incident" after about 10 minutes. At that time, police, sheriffs, and other emergency workers went into the home. They found the brother fighting for life and began lifesaving measures on him. He was later pronounced dead at our local hospital. The wife has been transferred to another hospital in the state to care for her and, as I mentioned, her condition is reported as stable.
The accused was charged on Friday in court with four counts of first degree murder, one count of attempted first degree murder and possession of a deadly weapon. He is being held without bail. The police, investigators and courts are not reporting a motive at this time.
This is a truly tragic situation. I personally know one of the sons - I worked with him in school last school year. There is a lot of anger and hatred right now in town. There are also more questions than answers. I pray for the family and for those in our community who are mourning. I also pray that the accused is granted a fair trial and that the hatred that is floating around subsides. As a community we need healing and forgiveness. Please keep our community in your thoughts and prayers.
