A heart-wrenching tragedy unfolded in a bar in Elkhorn, Wisconsin, as a newlywed couple's lives were cut short when they were both fatally shot.
Gina Weingart, 37, and Emerson Weingart, 33, lost their lives when they were killed inside the Sports Page Barr on February 1, as confirmed by authorities.
The Elkhorn Police Department shared the devastating news through news releases posted on their Facebook page, recounting the harrowing incident that took place in the early hours of that day.
According to the releases, at approximately 12:11AM local time, the Walworth County Sheriff's Office received a distressing call reporting "shots fired" and "a person down" at the Sports Page Barr. Officers from both the Sheriff's Office and the Elkhorn Police Department rushed to the scene, only to discover the lifeless bodies of Emerson and Gina.
The investigation into this tragic incident has been ongoing, and in a recent development, Elkhorn police announced that a "person of interest" has been apprehended in connection with the shooting deaths of the Wisconsin newlyweds, per the New York Post.
"The person of interest has been taken into custody on an unrelated matter as officials continue their investigation," revealed the Elkhorn Police Department. However, they refrained from disclosing further details, including specifics about the "unrelated matter," citing the necessity of safeguarding the integrity of the ongoing investigation.
Officials have released no motive or description of a potential suspect following the incident.
Gina had been working as a part-time bartender at the Sports Page Barr, and it was a place where Emerson often accompanied her during her late-night shifts, as reported by WAFB 9. The couple were reportedly often seen together at the bar.
"Their lives were just beginning, and I believe I speak for our entire Sports Page family by saying we are absolutely devastated by what happened," the venue's owner Jordan Barr wrote on Facebook. "It is a despicable act of violence that has shaken all of us to our core."
He added: "I would like to take this moment to ask everyone to respect the privacy of our staff, as well as the families of Gina and Emerson. It has been incredibly hard for all of us to wrap our minds around what’s happened. Please give us all our space and time to deal."
Emerson's father, Jeff Weingart, expressed the profound grief and shock that the family is enduring in the wake of this inexplicable tragedy. "It’s gut-wrenching," he told the local news outlet, expressing his disbelief at the circumstances surrounding the couple's untimely deaths.
"Somebody saw them. Somebody saw them. I don’t care, you don’t pull something like that off. I can’t believe that it was just her and him in the bar. So somebody saw them, and somebody had to give a description of them, and somebody had to see the car when he drove away, and they better find him," the grieving father urged.
Emerson and Gina had celebrated their wedding in June 2023.
An obituary for the couple added that Emerson worked as a department manager at a local grocery store, while Gina also dedicated her time to Wisconsin Vision Associates. They cherished moments of fishing together and enjoyed their passions — Emerson's love for sports and Gina's enthusiasm for karaoke.
Our thoughts are with the late couple's loved ones at this time.
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