Names released in west central Minnesota shooting
Jan. 7—LAKE BENTON, Minn. — Lincoln County Sheriff's Office on Saturday released the names of the two individuals who died in a
shooting incident in Lake Benton
.
Sandra Wilson Goertz, 81, and Irwin Edward Goertz, 80, both of Lake Benton, died Thursday, Jan. 4, after a shooting in a residence on South Central Street.
The Lincoln County Sheriff's Office found that the death of Sandra Goertz was a homicide as a result of multiple gunshot wounds, while her husband died by suicide from a single gunshot wound.
"A lot of people don't realize the impact that an incident like this has on a rural, tight-knit community like Lake Benton," said Lincoln County Sheriff Bob Bushman in a news release. "Many folks here are related to each other, and most people know one another. When a tragedy like this occurs, it's like everyone has lost a family member."
When first responders originally received the call for the incident, it was a medical call. Upon arrival at the South Central Street residence, they found Sandra Goertz dead and Irwin Goertz injured. Irwin Goertz was taken to Tyler Hospital, where he later died.
The Lincoln County Sheriff's Office and the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension are conducting an investigation to determine the circumstances leading to the shootings.
