Hotel shooting suspect 'gentle'

2005-03-13 21:48

New Berlin - The man who police say killed seven people and himself during a church service was remembered by his neighbours as a man so gentle that he couldn't hurt an animal.

When chipmunks got into Terry Ratzmann's garden, he set up traps to catch them. But his neighbour said he kept the animals alive and let them loose somewhere else.

"He couldn't even kill a chipmunk. He was that kind of individual," said Gene Herrmann, who lived next door to Ratzmann for about 30 years.

Ratzmann, accused of carrying out the killings at a church service at a hotel on Saturday, was described by neighbours as quiet and devout.

He liked to tinker about his house and garden, said Shane Colwell, another neighbour who knew Ratzmann for about a decade.

Ratzmann lived with his mother and sister in a modest, two-story home about 3 km from the suburban Milwaukee hotel where police say he opened fire during a service of the Living Church of God. Ratzmann went to church every Saturday, Colwell said.

"He wasn't a dark guy. He was average Joe," Colwell said. "It's not like he ever pushed his beliefs on anyone else."

But a church member who was at the service when the shooting took place said Ratzmann seemed depressed to her. Chandra Frazier told ABC's Good Morning America Ratzmann became upset about a sermon two weeks ago and left in the middle of the service.

Ratzmann built his own greenhouse, and neighbours said he shared his homegrown vegetables with them.

A week ago, Colwell helped Ratzmann fix his truck. Herrmann said he took good care of his house and three dogs.

"He never bothered anybody around here," he said.

- AP