A man and woman were found shot outside a residence in the rural Town of Smelser, just south of Cuba City, on Saturday afternoon, and both later died from their injuries. Deputies responded to a 911 call reporting two people with gunshot wounds and arrived around 1:28 p.m. to find the pair on the ground near a vehicle outside the home.
The woman died at the scene, according to WKOW. First responders provided aid to the man and transported him to Southwest Health Center in Platteville before he was transferred by ambulance to a hospital in Madison, where he later died from his injuries.
Sheriff's Office Says the Two Knew Each Other
The Grant County Sheriff's Office and the Grant County Coroner's Office are investigating the deaths. Authorities have withheld the names of the man and woman pending family notification, per the same report.
Investigators have said the two individuals knew each other, and the incident is believed to be isolated, with no ongoing threat to the public. Grant County Sheriff Craig Reukauf confirmed the investigation remains active and that further details will be released as they are verified, according to DIPNews. Authorities reiterated that the shooting was isolated to two known individuals with no ongoing public threat, the outlet reported.
A Rural Township Rarely Touched by Violence
The Town of Smelser is a rural township covering 35.1 square miles in southeastern Grant County, with a population of 786 recorded in the 2020 U.S. Census, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. The township includes small unincorporated communities such as Bigpatch, Elmo, Georgetown, and Saint Rose. Nearby Cuba City, nicknamed the City of Presidents, had a population of 2,138 in 2020 and sits along State Highway 80, about 10 minutes south of Platteville and 18 minutes north of Dubuque, Iowa, per the City of Cuba City.
Broader Patterns in Fatal Shootings Between Known Individuals
The relationship between the man and woman found near Cuba City remains unclear, and the circumstances of the shooting remain under investigation.
Investigators have not released the identities of the man or woman. The sheriff's office says it will share additional information as it is confirmed.
