By Shereen Siewert
WESTON – The lone suspect in a shooting rampage that left four people dead, including a veteran police officer, is identified as Nengmy Vang, 45, of Weston.
Wausau Pilot & Review had been withholding Vang’s name until it was made public to avoid compromising the investigation.
The tragedy began just after 12:30 p.m. on Wednesday when employees at a Subway restaurant called police and said a woman was claiming her husband was going to kill her and was at Marathon Savings Bank in Rothschild with a gun in his car, according to scanner audio. What happened next is not completely clear, but when police arrived at the bank, the found Dianne M. Look, 67, and Karen L. Barclay, 62, shot dead.
Then at 1:10 p.m., another call came in, this time of a “similar incident” at Tlusty, Kennedy and Dirks Law Office in Schofield, just blocks from the bank, police said. There, police found Sara Quirt Sann, a 43-year-old attorney and lifelong Wausau resident, dead of a gunshot wound. Quirt Sann was representing Vang’s wife in contested divorce proceedings, court records show. Vang filed for divorce from his wife in June 2015 but the divorce was not yet final.
While tactical teams were en route to the law office, Detective Weiland arrived at the Aspen Street apartment complex in Weston where Vang lived. Witnesses say Weiland was in full tactical gear when he was shot from a distance with what appeared to be a high powered rifle. Tactical teams were rerouted to the apartment complex, said Marathon County Sheriff Scott Parks, and a standoff ensued for hours.
SWAT teams stormed Vang’s residence around 5 p.m. after Vang shot dozens of bullets from his apartment window. Vang was injured in an exchange of gunfire and was transported to an area hospital. His condition has not been released, but Department of Criminal Investigation spokesman Jason Smith said Vang is under “intense medical care.”
Weiland, an 18-year police veteran, was “like family,” said Everest Metro Police Chief Wally Sparks. The fallen officer leaves behind a wife and two daughters.
Court records show Vang had both marital and money problems. Investigators declined to say why the conflict began at the bank, but said the situation was domestic in nature. Vang’s estranged wife was not harmed.
The couple has six children.
Shockwaves continue to ripple through the Wausau area in the wake of the shooting, which prompted an outpouring of support for the families of the victims and local law enforcement agencies.
On Thursday evening, a string of squad cars from agencies across the state accompanied the body of Everest Metro Police Detective Jason Weiland as his remains were carried from the medical examiner’s office in Fond du Lac back home. The Wisconsin State Patrol coordinated the motorcade as a way to signify the brotherhood that exists between all law enforcement agencies.
The Wisconsin Department of Justice released these details about the victims in a news release on Thursday:
- Dianne M. Look, 67, grew up in many places, but she called Wisconsin home. A graduate of D.C. Everest High School, Dianne was the mother to two children, Christy Bleu and Chuck Mientke. Dianne was an employee of Marathon Savings Bank, where she had been a branch manager since 1998. Dianne met her husband, Robert Look, while working at a local bank in 1988. The two married in 1992 and lived in South Dakota for a number of years before returning to Wisconsin in 1998. They have resided in Wisconsin since. Dianne and Robert celebrated their 25th wedding anniversary this past Valentine’s Day.
- Karen L. Barclay, 62, moved to Wisconsin in 1993 and was employed at Marathon Savings Bank for more than five years. She had one daughter and two granddaughters, ages 4 and 7.
- Sara H. Quirt Sann, 43, was a lifelong resident of Wausau. She was a wife, daughter, sister, stepmom, aunt, friend, and a community servant. Sara loved golf, yoga, practicing law, and her dog, Mary.
Quirt Sann’s husband, Scott Sann, published a post on the Greenwood Hills Country Club Facebook page urging the community to come together in a show of strength and healing. Scott Sann is club manager at Greenwood.
His post reads:
“I would like to thank all of you that have reached out in this difficult time. I cannot express the gratitude for the many kind words. Yesterday we lost a wife, a daughter, a sister, a stepmom, an aunt, a friend and a community servant. I have never been a fan of social media, however Sara was fully engaged. I feel obligated to reach out to the many friends she had. Had it not been her, she would’ve been sending kind regards to any one of you.
To fully respect Sara’s death it is important to know a few things. She was an avid watcher of the news. A majority of Sara’s family and I ask you to be the bigger people in this situation. They say “The Devil is in the details”. Do not get caught up in colors and politics. This person could’ve been any gender, any color, any religion and they could’ve acted in other ways of violence to make their point. Don’t get trapped in the details.
I am asking you to read Ephesians 6 versus 10-20. I spoke with Sara about this passage years ago. She had to put her armor on every day and fight for those who needed representation. She often had to make a “no win” decision daily for the children that she represented. She would often question her decisions with me. She would often share her sorrow of not being appreciated by either party. Make no doubt in your mind that she was a warrior. She wore her armor and fought hard many days thanklessly. Please appreciate her like I do. She was indeed a hero. I love Marvel stories of super powers and maybe that’s why I loved her.
I am asking all of you to put on your armor tonight and in the following days. There is no doubt that evil is present every day and right in front of us. We can choose to give into hate and anger by listening to the details. Please remove any anger driven posts. Post something that you loved about her. Post a picture that I may have never seen. I have access only to view your posts on her iPad. Your encouragement is giving me faith. Know that my armor is polished and on to do battle in the name of righteousness. Come together with me a community and find healing and strength together.
Sara and I did a lot of fun things together. We lived life fully. We could’ve lived more. I am thankful for the time I had. Continue to keep us in your prayers.”
