Natalie Kleemeier, a 14-year-old freshman at Arrowhead Union High School, was killed by a single gunshot wound in a murder-suicide at an apartment in Hartland, Wisconsin, in the early morning hours of October 21, 2022. Connor McKisick fatally shot five family members — his wife Jessica McKisick, Natalie, her 12-year-old sister Sofina Kleemeier, and two 3-year-old boys — before dying of a self-inflicted gunshot wound. An ignitable liquid was found at the scene, and a fire was set in the apartment building, which was discovered by emergency responders. The occupants of the other three units in the four-unit building escaped safely.
Contexts/Conditions
Is there any mention of child drug ingestion or overdose?
Is there any mention of a drowning incident (either intentional or accidental)?
Is there any mention of a firearm incident?
The WISN article states "all died from a single gunshot wound" and "investigators found several guns in the property on Mansfield Court." The FOX6 article corroborates that the deaths were firearm-related in the context of a murder-suicide.
Is there any mention of inappropriate supervision (e.g., child wandered off and drowned)?
Is there any mention of inflicted injury? (e.g. slapped, punched, kicked, choked)
The WISN article states that "the 6 people whose bodies were found after an apartment fire Friday morning all died from a single gunshot wound," and that "Connor McKisick's wound was self-inflicted," meaning the other five victims, including Natalie, received inflicted gunshot wounds.
Is there any mention of malnutrition, starvation, or dehydration?
Is there any mention of medical neglect?
Is there any mention of a motor vehicle crash or incident?
Is there any mention of a murder-suicide incident?
The WISN article explicitly states that "the investigation focuses on a murder-suicide" and that "Connor McKisick's wound was self-inflicted," while the other five victims died of gunshot wounds.
Is there any mention of outdoor elements (including hot car deaths)?
Is there any mention of prenatal substance exposure (including fetal alcohol syndrome or neonatal abstinence syndrome)?
Is there any mention of sexual abuse?
Is there any specific mention of shaken baby or abusive head trauma?
Is there any mention of prolonged abuse or torture (including restraints, captivity)?
Is there any mention of an unsafe sleeping environment?
Individuals Involved
Was an adoptive parent or guardian involved in the death?
Was a biological father involved in the death?
Was a biological mother involved in the death?
Was a day care worker, babysitter, or nanny involved in the death?
Was a female paramour or friend involved in the death (e.g., girlfriend, stepmother)?
Was a foster parent involved in the death?
Was a male paramour or friend involved in the death (e.g., boyfriend, stepfather)?
The perpetrator, Connor McKisick, shares the last name with Jessica McKisick (the other adult victim), while the older children are identified as Natalie Kleemeier (14) and Sofina Kleemeier (12) — a different last name. The FOX6 article states "All six were members of the same family." The WISN article notes that "Friends set up a GoFundMe to help Natalie's family 'pay for her and her siblings' funerals.'" The different last names strongly imply that Connor McKisick was a stepfather or male paramour to the Kleemeier children rather than their biological father, and he is identified as the perpetrator of the murder-suicide.
Was another adult relative involved in the death? (e.g., grandfather, aunt)
Was a sibling involved in the death?
Child Characteristics
Was the child adopted?
Was the child homeschooled (including "cyberschooling") or taken out of school?
Was the child in foster care at the time of the incident?
Was the child living with relatives at the time of the incident (but not parents)?
Is there any mention of a neurological developmental child disability? (e.g., autism, intellectual disability, nonverbal)
Is there any mention of a physical child disability? (e.g., feeding tube)
Is there any mention of prematurity or low birthweight?
Is there a history of child protection reports prior to death (for this child or siblings)?
Does the child have a history of foster care (but not in care at time of incident)?
Is there a history of a sibling death (separate incident from this death)?
Parent/Caregiver Factors
Was an adult charged or arrested for the child's death?
Is domestic violence by the parent/caregiver referenced?
While the text does not use the term "domestic violence" explicitly, the entire incident is a murder-suicide perpetrated by Connor McKisick against members of his own household/family. The WISN article states "the investigation focuses on a murder-suicide" and that Connor McKisick's wound was self-inflicted while the other five family members died from gunshot wounds. The killing of a spouse/partner and children by a family member constitutes domestic violence.
Is there any mention that the death occurred in a temporary shelter or while homeless?
Is an intellectual disability of the parent/caregiver referenced?
Is the mental health of the parent/caregiver referenced?
Is a history of arrests or criminal charges for the parent/caregiver referenced?
Is substance use by the parent/caregiver referenced?
Notable Details
The WISN article reports that an "ignitable liquid" was discovered in an area it wouldn't normally be found, indicating arson was committed alongside the murder-suicide. The perpetrator apparently attempted to burn the apartment building after committing the shootings, endangering occupants of three other units in the four-unit building. The FOX6 article notes that "15 fire departments and nine police departments responded" to the scene, reflecting the scale of the emergency. The fire complicated the initial investigation, as the FOX6 article states "Firefighters said it is unclear exactly how the six people died" before the Monday update confirmed gunshot wounds.
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