Flowers, balloons and stuffed animals appeared outside the home as investigators withheld identities and searched for answers about the deaths.
WEST BEND, Wis. — A growing memorial outside a West Bend home reflected a community in mourning Monday as police continued investigating the deaths of two adults and two children and the hospitalization of another child who survived the incident.
The four people were found dead Saturday, Nov. 7, after officers responded to the 100 block of East Washington Street shortly before noon. Police found an adult woman, an adult man, a boy and a girl dead inside the residence, along with a dog. Another girl was taken to a hospital and was reported in stable condition. Authorities have not publicly released the victims’ names or ages.
By Sunday, mourners had left flowers, balloons, candles and stuffed animals near the property. Some people who came to the area said they knew members of the family or had children who knew them. The public expressions of grief unfolded as investigators continued withholding many of the details that would explain what led to the deaths.
West Bend police have said everyone found inside the home was connected to one another, but they have not publicly described those relationships. Investigators believe the person responsible was among those who died. Multiple law enforcement sources have said that person was a retired Milwaukee police officer, though West Bend police had not formally released his identity as of Monday morning.
A firearm that investigators believe was involved was recovered from inside the residence. Police have not announced how each person died, and they have not formally characterized the case as a murder-suicide. Authorities have also not disclosed a suspected motive or explained what happened immediately before the 911 call that brought officers to the home.
The limits of the public information have left several central questions unanswered, including the precise sequence of events and how the surviving girl was injured. Lt. Brian McAndrews of the West Bend Police Department said investigators were not in a position to characterize the incident or speculate about a motive while the investigation remained active.
Police were dispatched at about 11:47 a.m. after receiving a report that multiple people were dead inside the home. The discovery brought officers and other investigators to the residential neighborhood for hours as authorities processed the scene. Police told residents there was no known continuing threat to the community.
News that the suspected person responsible had previously worked as a Milwaukee police officer emerged during the weekend. Law enforcement sources said he had retired more than a decade earlier. Authorities have not suggested that his former occupation was connected to the incident, and West Bend police have not publicly provided details about his career.
The community response has focused heavily on the children affected by the incident. Students who spoke with local news organizations described their grief over losing people they knew, while residents stopped near the home to pay respects. The surviving girl’s identity has not been released, and officials have provided no detailed medical information beyond reports that she was stable.
West Bend police continued to treat the case as an active investigation Monday. The identities of those who died, the official determination of how the deaths occurred and the motive remained unreleased as investigators worked to complete a clearer account of what happened inside the East Washington Street home.
Author note: Last updated November 9, 2026.