A Wisconsin state trooper was killed in a shootout with a man matching the description of a suspected bank robber, police said. Authorities said that the suspect was also killed.
The suspect, who was not immediately identified, appears to be the same person who robbed a bank in the village of Wausaukee on Tuesday afternoon, and who may have also shot an elderly man to death nearby, officials said.
Shots were exchanged between the trooper, later identified as 21-year-old Trevor Casper, and the suspect at 6:30 p.m. ET Tuesday in Fond du Lac, about an hour north of Milwaukee, said Police Chief William Lamb. Casper had been following the suspect’s vehicle.
Authorities said they learned of the bank robbery about four hours earlier. The suspect fired one round from a handgun and robbed the bank, police said. The elderly man was found dead in his pickup truck.
The Wisconsin Professional Police Association wrote on Facebook early Wednesday that officers were mourning the loss of Casper, who had graduated the State Patrol Academy in December.
His family remembered the young trooper as someone drawn to working in law enforcement because of his desire to help others.
"Trevor had a soft and good heart. He truly believed his sole purpose in life was to serve and protect others," his family said in a statement. "When we asked Trevor if he was ready for his career as a Wisconsin State Trooper, Trevor proudly told us he was 'born ready to do this job.'"
