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Clayton Lauritsen sentenced for fatally shooting man after Wisconsin car chase

MINNEAPOLIS -- A western Wisconsin man has been sentenced to prison for shooting a man in the chest following a car chase.

Clayton Lauritsen, of Cumberland, Wisconsin had been charged with one count of first-degree intentional homicide in connection to the shooting.

According to a criminal complaint, the shooting happened in December 2020 on the 200 block of North Mill Street in Barron. Officers found the victim lying motionless on the snow-covered ground. He died at the scene. His name was not released in the charging documents.

Lauritsen called 911 after the shooting and turned himself in. He was 20 years old at the time of the shooting.

This week, Lauritsen was sentenced to 25 years in prison and 15 years initial confinement, with credit given for 424 days spent in jail already. He was also given a nine-month sentence for criminal damage to property, resisting or obstructing an officer, and jumping bail twice.

Case History

According to investigators, the violence erupted following a chase involving the victim's roommate. The roommate reported to police that he was being chased by Lauritsen and another man, who flashed a handgun at him while following his car through nearby towns, at times reaching speeds up to 140 mph.

The roommate texted the victim for help, saying he feared for his life. The victim got in his truck and confronted Lauritsen and the other man, finding them near his North Mill Street home.

The man who was with Lauritsen told investigators that the victim got out of his truck and approached them, the complaint stated. The victim noticed a handgun on Lauritsen's lap and they struggled over it. Lauritsen then pushed the victim's hand off the gun and shot him.

Witnesses reported to police that the saw the victim leaned over the car, speaking with the people inside like he knew them. They then heard a gunshot and saw the victim stand up, grab his chest and collapse.

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