Dec. 2, 2021 6p
(WGTD)---The Hartland man who shot and killed a motorist at an I-94 gas station in Racine County last summer, then shot and wounded a sheriff's deputy before killing himself, was being treated for mental illnesses. That from Racine County District Attorney Patricia Hanson.
New details of the July 13th incident that began at the Pilot Travel Center and ended at a nearby gas station with the death of the gunman, 32-year-old Robert McCarthy, were contained in a five-page letter to Sheriff Christopher Schmaling,
The letter was released Thursday, In it, Hanson said she saw no reason to charge the deputy, and that the officer, who was never named because of his undercover status, should be considered a hero for stopping an active shooter and saving other lives.
McCarthy suffered from anxiety, paranoid delusions and depression, according to Hanson's letter. In addition, prescribed mental health medications were detected during an autopsy. Hanson's letter was based in part on investigations conducted by the Wisconsin Dept. of Justice and local police agencies.
She notes that Hartland police recovered a shotgun, large quantities of ammunition and an empty handgun case from McCarthy's apartment following the Racine County shooting.
22-year-old Anthony Griger of Elkhorn was McCarthy's first victim. He apparently had been targeted at random while pumping gas at the Pilot. McCarthy then tried to carjack another motorist, but the victim sped away. McCarthy died at a nearby gas station when he attacked another driver, who turned out to be the plainclothes deputy. The officer, who was wearing a sidearm, returned fire, striking McCarthy four times. But it was a self-inflicted gunshot wound that actually killed the gunman, according to Hanson. The officer who was hit by McCarthy's fire has recovered from his injuries.
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