The Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension said Saturday that the fatal shooting of two people in southwestern Minnesota's Lincoln County was a murder-suicide.
BCA: Fatal southwestern Minnesota shooting was murder-suicide
The Lincoln County Sheriff's Office said it was alerted shortly after 3 p.m. Thursday by a caller about a medical emergency at the residence.
January 6, 2024 at 9:11PM
The Lincoln County Sheriff's Office responded to a call about a medical emergency on Thursday afternoon at a residence in Lake Benton. Emergency responders found a woman's body with multiple gunshot wounds, and a man fatally wounded; he later died at a hospital.
The BCA identified the man as Irwin Edward Goertz, age 80. The agency said his death was a suicide. The woman was identified as Sandra Wilson Goertz, 81. Her death was ruled a homicide. The two were married.
In a statement Saturday, Lincoln County Sheriff Bob Bushman described Lake Benton as a "rural, tight-knit community" were most residents know each other. "When a tragedy like this occurs, it's like everyone has lost a family member," he said.
