In close-knit Antigo, sympathy for shooter's family

ANTIGO - People who knew Jakob Wagner, and others who never met him, want his family to know they're in people's thoughts and prayers.

Wagner, 18, opened fire Saturday night at Antigo High School's prom, injuring two attendees outside the school before being shot by one of two police officers patrolling the parking lot, police said. The shooting drew national media attention and coverage spread across the internet as the community sought to make sense of what happened.

Under that spotlight, residents and leaders of the tight-knit community 35 miles northeast of Wausau were thankful for the police response and expressed sadness both for the teens who were injured and for Wagner's family. They offered support for the family online and in interviews.

Community-wide sympathy for the shooter's loved ones is not always typical following one of these events, one expert said.

"The Wagner family is a part of our community, and I'm sure this isn't something that they wished upon themselves," Antigo Mayor Bill Brandt told USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin on Wednesday. "They're, you know, victims somewhat of their son's actions, too. They're put in a terrible situation and they didn't ask for that."

That sentiment was offered by many residents in the days following the Saturday night shooting that shocked the community where this type of violence is rare. A lot of those living in the community of about 8,000 are offering thoughts and prayers for Wagner's family, Brandt said.

Antigo is a place where people take care of one another and come together around the youth, he said.

Related: Antigo gunman described as thoughtful, bullied, troubled

Related: Prom shooting survivors 'hand-picked by God'

Related: Community rallies around Antigo High School

More coverage: Stories, photos and videos on Antigo prom shooting

Community reactions to shooters' families can vary, said James E. Hawdon, director of the Virginia Tech Center for Peace Studies and Violence Prevention, which was formed as a result of the 2007 shooting at the university.

Generally, part of the community supports the family and expresses grief for their loss but there's also typically a lot of hostility toward the shooter and his family, Hawdon said. This case, he suggested, might be slightly different because no other kids were killed in the shooting. When other kids lose their lives, he said, communities can sometimes be less forgiving.

"That is not to downplay what the community there is doing at all," he said. "I think it’s very important to acknowledge that this is a very pro-healthy response to acts of crime, and obviously the entire community was touched. But in this case, the people most directly touched are the shooter’s survivors and for the community to embrace them is a wonderfully healing act.”

In tributes on Wagner's online obituary, people who said they knew him and others who did not offered sympathy and support for his family.

One entry said: "I hope that you realize that Antigo has been changed forever but we will survive and become a stronger community because of what has happened. We stand behind you and do not hold you responsible for what was beyond your control, our love and prayers are with you during these dark days. God bless!"

On Tuesday, Wagner's family issued a statement, which asks for "the healing embrace of our community to get through this difficult time" in addition to expressing sorrow for the impact on the victims, the police officers, the community and other prom-goers.

Another writer on his tribute page wrote, "Please know that many have heard and are filling your request to be held by this community as you wade through your confusion and grief. I cannot fathom the range of things you're going through. My heart aches for Jakob and for you all. May you find peace, may you know love, may you remember beautiful times, may you feel supported and held."

Police were among those offering condolences to Wagner's family.

The community may never know why Wagner took the action he did that night, Antigo Police Chief Eric Roller said Wednesday, but his family still lost somebody important to them and they probably don't understand his actions either.

"The community is caring," he said of the response. "They feel that empathy for the family, and it appears Jakob had, you know, 18 years before that he made a lot of good decisions and a lot of good, good relationships."

The community has also expressed pride in its police department and the two officers who were involved in the shooting, one of whom fired on Wagner. Both are now on paid administrative leave, which is standard protocol.

Roller said other officers have been checking in with them in the days since the shooting and trying to make sure they continue to feel that they are part of the department, even though they're not in the office. The department is also working to provide anything the two officers need as they work through what happened.

"Everyone seems to be handling things and recognizing that without action things would have been much, much worse here and we would have been talking about a lot of different things other than just the community reaction," Brandt, the mayor, said. "We would have been listed up there with some of the other communities that have been unfortunate enough to have people carry through their plot."

As for the future, Brandt said, Antigo will take things one day at a time and address residents' needs and concerns about the incident as they arise.

Alison Dirr: 920-996-7266 or adirr@gannett.com; on Twitter @AlisonDirr