UPDATED Friday, November 2, 2012 --- 4:15 p.m.

UPDATE from the Grant County Sheriff's Department:

On November 2, 2012 at approximately 3:00 p.m., the Grant County Sheriff’s Department arrested Thomas Welp, age 71 of Dickeyville, for his role in this incident.

Mr. Welp was on Hwy 61 during the evening hours of Nov. 1, 2012 and stated he was shooting at a red tail hawk in a tree and was unaware he had struck a vehicle.

Mr. Welp was arrested and booked into the Grant County Jail and later released.

The Wisconsin DNR was able to recover a deceased hawk at the scene of this incident.

Arrest or Charges:
Thomas Welp
71-year-old from Dickeyville

Recklessly Endangering Safety
Additional charges are pending

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Posted Friday, November 2, 2012 --- 9:10 a.m.

From the Grant County Sheriff's Department:

A Grant County Deputy responded to a report of a gunshot near the Platte River Bridge (Shino Bridge) at approximately 5:30 pm on Thursday (11-01-12).

A female driver, age 40 from Lancaster, was traveling northbound on Hwy 61 in her 2008 Ford Escape.

As she traveled northbound there was a vehicle, described as a forest green, 1980’s-1990’s style Ford F150 extended cap, pick-up truck, with a topper, parked on the west side of the road facing south, just north of Shino Bridge.

The pick-up truck was further described as being in good shape with little rust and possibly having had a silver stripe lengthwise, or possibly two-tone in color (silver over green). The driver was wearing a baseball cap and sunglasses.

Just as she approached the parked vehicle’s location she observed the barrel of a rifle emerge from the driver’s side window, and as she passed the vehicle a shot rang out.

She pulled to the side of the road and contacted authorities as the green truck casually pulled away and drove southbound on Hwy 61.

Upon Deputies arrival, a bullet hole was discovered in the driver’s side door just above the driver’s side window. The bullet was recovered in the frame of the vehicle.

The female driver had four of her children in the vehicle with her at the time of the incident; their ages, 18, 13, 10, and 6. Luckily there were no injuries reported.

Deputies searched the area for the offending vehicle but could not locate it. This incident remains under investigation, but at this time it does not appear as though she was the intended target in this incident.

If anyone has information regarding this incident they are encouraged to contact the Grant County Sheriff’s Department or Grant County Crime Stoppers.

The Grant County Sheriff’s Department would also like to remind citizens that though there have been some changes to the regulations on possession and transportation of weapons it is still illegal and highly dangerous to discharge a firearm from inside a vehicle and within 50 feet from the center line of any roadway.

Arrest or Charges: Under investigation

Investigating Officer: Deputy Mark Schwarz
Officer Authorizing News Release: Sheriff Nate Dreckman