Bus-aid call leads to deadly gunfire

APPLETON, Wis. — A call to assist a man thought to be having a medical emergency on a bus escalated into a shooting that ended with the man and an Appleton firefighter dead and two others hurt, authorities said Thursday.

The incident began around 5:30 p.m. Wednesday as police, firefighters and an ambulance went to help a 47-year-old man arriving in downtown Appleton on a bus from out of the area, police said.

The responders gave medical help to the man, who eventually left the bus and started walking toward a nearby library, whereupon “the incident escalated,” police said. Chief Todd Thomas said the man showed a handgun and exchanged shots with the police officers.

Firefighter Mitch Lundgaard, a 14-year veteran, was killed.

A female bystander and an Appleton police officer were also hit.

The woman was hospitalized in stable condition, and the officer was treated and released.

The 47-year-old man died at a hospital from his injuries, police said.

Appleton Fire Chief Jeremy Hansen said Lundgaard was married with three young children.

A long line of emergency vehicles escorted Lundgaard’s body from the Milwaukee County medical examiner’s office in Milwaukee, where an autopsy was done, back to Appleton on Thursday.

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