Body found of man suspected of shooting Lake City officer
A Lake City police officer remained in critical condition Tuesday, a day after being shot in the head and neck.
Police identified the wounded officer as Shawn Schneider, 32, who has been employed at Lake City since 2003. He was taken to St. Mary's Hospital in Rochester after being shot when he and another officer were responding there to a domestic dispute call.
After a standoff that lasted nearly seven hours, authorities found the body of a man inside a home where Schneider was shot. Authorities believe the man, Alan Sylte Jr., 25, of Hager City, Wis., could be the shooter.
Police Chief Gary Majchrzak said the shooting happened after 8:30 a.m. Monday. The suspected gunman retreated into the house after firing shots at the officer.
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Law enforcement officers from local, county and state agencies surrounded the house in Lake City and sealed off the block after the shooting. Nearby schools were ordered locked down as a precaution, although the lock down was later lifted and students were taken home after authorities entered the house and found the body.
The long standoff was a precaution for officers, Wabasha County Sheriff Rodney Bartsh said.
"We had one officer critically wounded already and we didn't want another one to have the same thing happen to them," he said. "We're OK with the amount of time it took."
"This is something that you hope you never have to endure," said Lake City Mayor Jerry Dunbar. "But it did and we had support people here today that did an excellent job for us. We want to assure everyone we did everything possible was done today to provide the overall safety throughout the day and the well-being of residents in this community."
Officials are asking the public for any information regarding the domestic dispute. Contact the Wabasha Sheriff's Office at 651-345-3391 or the state Bureau of Criminal Apprehension at 651-793-7000.
The Associated Press contributed to this story
