Firefighter shot and killed while responding to medical emergency, officer injured

A Wisconsin firefighter was shot and killed at the scene of a medical emergency Wednesday night, according to the Green Bay Press-Gazette.

The unidentified 14-year department veteran was shot, along with a police officer and two others, at the Valley Transit Center in Appleton after responding to a medical call around 5:30 p.m.

While treating a person, the firefighter was caught in a situation that "escalated into shots being fired," the city's fire department said in a statement. A police spokesperson said she was unsure whether a suspect was arrested.

Witnesses to the incident described a chaotic scene, which led to multiple lockdowns in the surrounding area, including a medical center, liberal arts college and library.

"It sounded like real loud firecrackers, like consistent 'pow pow pow,' and I was thinking it was too loud for fireworks, so I looked out the window," Appleton resident Danielle Morris told the Press-Gazette. "It seemed like a hostile situation."

One passerby said she stopped her car after hearing gunshots.

"We're seeing...police coming up and rushing the scene, and then I see a bunch of police crouched down, kind of hiding behind a car with the guns, and they're all pointing at them," Annika Leon said.

The firefighter was taken to the Milwaukee Medical Examiner's Office early Thursday morning, where fellow firefighters lined the street and saluted his flag-draped casket, WISN reports. The officer who was injured is reportedly recovering at a local hospital.

An investigation into the incident is ongoing.