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LAKE BENTON -- Two people who died as the result of a shooting incident in Lake Benton on Thursday have been identified.
The Midwest Medical Examiner's Office ruled that the death of Sandra Wilson Goertz, 81, of Lake Benton, was a homicide, the result of multiple gunshot wounds. The death of her husband, Irwin Edward Goertz, 80, was ruled a suicide caused by a single gunshot wound.
The Lincoln County Sheriff's Office and the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension are still investigating to determine the circumstances that may have led to the shootings.
"A lot of people don't realize the impact that an incident like this has on a rural, tight-knit community like Lake Benton," Lincoln County Sheriff Bob Bushman said in a press 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."
The Sheriff's Office received a call reporting a medical emergency around 3 p.m. Thursday. Lincoln County deputies, along with Lake Benton First Responders, the Lake Benton Fire Department, Tyler Ambulance and Tyler Police all responded to a residence on South Center Street in Lake Benton, the Sheriff's Office said in a news release. At the scene, responders found a critically injured man and a deceased woman, the Sheriff's Office said. The man was transported to Avera Tyler Hospital, where he later died.
A firearm was recovered at the scene of the shooting. The Sheriff's Office said there was no further threat to the community after the incident.
The Minnesota BCA and investigators from the Buffalo Ridge Drug and Violent Crime Task Force responded to the scene to help with the investigation, the Sheriff's Office said.