Terry Ratzmann


    Terry Ratzmann

    Birth name: Terry Michael Ratzmann

    Occupation: Computer technician

    Born: 1960 New Berlin, Wisconsin

    Died: March 12, 2005 (aged 44)

    Brookfield, Wisconsin

    Cause of death: Suicide


    Killings

    Date: March 12, 2005

    Location(s): Brookfield, Wisconsin

    Killed: 7

    Injured: 4

    Weapon(s): Beretta (9mm)

    Links

    The Sermon that Set Terry Ratzmann Off

    Job, Sermon Upset Church Gunman

    What Motivated Terry Ratzmann’s Shooting Spree
    in the Living Church of God?

    Relatives struggle for answers after shooting

    Terry Ratzmann FaceBook

    Rampage Puts Spotlight on a Church Community

    Terry Ratzmann. Chicago Tribune

    Newspaper Clip Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

     

      Watch a video about the mass murderer HERE.

      Terry Michael Ratzmann was an American mass murderer who killed seven members of the Living Church of God

      (LCG) before committing suicide at a Sheraton Hotel in Brookfield, Wisconsin in 2005.

      Background

      Previously living with his mother and sister[1], Ratzmann was known as an avid gardener who often shared his

      homegrown produce with the church congregation and had a passion for carnivorous plants.[2] On the verge of losing

       

        Terry Michael Ratzmann was an American mass murderer who killed seven members of the Living Church of God

        (LCG) before committing suicide at a Sheraton Hotel in Brookfield, Wisconsin in 2005.

        Background

        Previously living with his mother and sister[1], Ratzmann was known as an avid gardener who often shared his

        homegrown produce with the church congregation and had a passion for carnivorous plants.[2] On the verge of losing

        his job as a computer technician with a placement firm[3], Ratzmann was known to suffer from bouts of

        depression[4], and was reportedly infuriated by a sermon the minister had given two weeks earlier.[5]

        Shooting

        Ratzmann had left the Sheraton Hotel building 20 minutes earlier. He then returned carrying a 9mm Beretta handgun and fired 22 rounds into the Living Church of God congregation, killing the minister and six others including the minister's son. Four others were wounded; one critically. Ratzmann shot and killed himself midway through the second out of three magazines.

        The incident focused national attention on the teachings and legacy of Herbert W. Armstrong, the Worldwide Church of God and LCG's leader Roderick C. Meredith[6] and the police investigated religious issues as potential motives for the shooting, though no official conclusion has been reached.[7]

        Victims

        • Pastor Randy Gregory, 50

        • James Gregory, 17

        • Harold Diekmeier, 72 [8]

        • Gloria Critari, 55

        • Bart Oliver, 15

        • Richard Reeves, 58

        • Gerald Miller, 44

        Aftermath

        During the police search of the house that Ratzmann shared with his mother and sister, a .22 rifle, ammunition and three computers were taken away.

        The March 13 autopsy revealed that Ratzmann was suffering from Hashimoto's thyroiditis, a mild congenital heart abnormality and was missing part of three fingers on his left hand, the result of a much earlier injury.[9]

        References

        [1] Dorfman, Dan. "8 are shot at church gathering" (http:/ / www. nytimes. com/ 2005/ 03/ 13/ world/ americas/ 13iht-shoot. html). NYTimes
        Online. The New York Times. . Retrieved 24 January 2012.

        [2] Ratzmann, Terry. "Carnivorous Plants!" (http:/ / web. archive. org/ web/ 20040830092307/ http:/ / my. execpc. com/ ~traven/ ). RavenWood
        Farms Home Page. Archive of Ratzmann's personal website. . Retrieved 24 January 2012.

        [3] Wilgoren, Jodi. "Police Search for Answers in Wisconsin Shooting" (http:/ / www. nytimes. com/ 2005/ 03/ 13/ national/ 13cnd-milwaukee.html).
        NYTimes Online. The New York Times. . Retrieved 24 January 2012.

        [4] Wilgoren, Jodi. "After Shootings in Wisconsin, a Community Asks 'Why?'" (http:/ / www. nytimes. com/ 2005/ 03/ 14/ national/14milwaukee. html).
        NYTimes Online. The New York Times. . Retrieved 24 January 2012.

        [5] Wilgoren, Jodi. "Police Focus on Religion in Milwaukee Shootings" (http:/ / www. nytimes. com/ 2005/ 03/ 15/ national/ 15milwaukee.html?pagewanted=print& position=).
        NYTimes Online. The New York Times. . Retrieved 24 January 2012.

        [6] Banerjee, Neela. "Rampage Puts Spotlight on a Church Community" (http:/ / www. nytimes. com/ 2005/ 03/ 18/ national/ 18church. html).
        NYTimes Online. The New York Times. . Retrieved 24 January 2012.

        [7] "Motive Still Unclear in Milwaukee Church Shooting" (http:/ / www. nytimes. com/ 2005/ 08/ 03/ national/ 03rampage. html). Associated Press.
        The New York Times. . Retrieved 24 January 2012.

        [8] Dorfman, Dan. "Gunman Kills 7 in Wisconsin Church Group" (http:/ / www. nytimes. com/ 2005/ 03/ 13/ national/ 13milwaukee. html).
        NYTimes Online. The New York Times. . Retrieved 24 January 2012.

        [9] "Medical examiner releases autopsy findings" (http:/ / www. thejournal. org/ issues/ issue99/ autopsy. html). The Journal. News of the Churches of God. . Retrieved 24 January 2012.

         

        Article Sources and Contributors

        Terry Ratzmann Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?oldid=478720484 Contributors: Adnghiem501, Alrokrrr, BaronLarf, BrownHairedGirl, COMPFUNK2, Cindamuse, Clarkae12, Crystallina, Deathphoenix, Gimboid13, Good Olfactory, Jigawattica, LaszloWalrus, Lord Gøn, Lugnuts, Nlu, Peyna, Rich Farmbrough, Rjwilmsi, Shadowflare, Sherurcij, Thernlund, Wolfling, Xaosflux, YegerMeister, 14 anonymous edits

        License

        Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported
        //creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/

     


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