A man and woman were found dead of gunshot wounds in an apparent murder-suicide in a garage in Ashwaubenon

ASHWAUBENON - A man and a woman were found dead of gunshot wounds Thursday by public safety officers who had been asked to check the woman's welfare.

The victims were identified as Bryan C. Morales, 26, of Green Bay and Karissa E. Peronto, 27, of Ashwaubenon, village public safety officials said Thursday night. 

The bodies of the pair were found early Thursday afternoon in a garage at 2355 Cedar Ridge, following an apparent murder-suicide. The bodies were located almost three hours after officers approaching the house had heard scuffling, then as many as four gunshots, according to Ashwaubenon Public Safety Chief Brian Uhl. 

Uhl Thursday afternoon said officers did not yet know which person fired.

Public safety officers had gone to the scene Thursday after receiving a 10:07 a.m. call from a person concerned about the welfare of Peronto, who had not arrived at work Thursday morning. Officers were approaching the house at 10:24 a.m. when they heard gunshots following sounds of a scuffle inside the garage.

Previous 'violent acts'

The man involved in the shooting had a criminal history that included "several violent acts," Uhl said, though he could not immediately say what those acts had been.

Online court records show a Bryan C. Morales convicted in Brown County Circuit Court in May 2016 on a felony child-abuse case. The same person was convicted in Dane County in 2018 of false imprisonment, a felony.

Public safety officials Thursday afternoon also weren't sure how Morales and Peronto knew each other, or what the dispute was about. 

After hearing the shooting, officers surrounded the Cedar Ridge property — Uhl described it as a four-flat — worked to ensure the safety of others in the neighborhood. They ordered people in the immediate area to evacuate, and blocked incoming traffic to the immediate area. Cedar Ridge is a one-block street just west of Interstate 41 and north of State 172.

Peronto had worked as a nurse for Prevea Health, CEO Dr. Ashok Rai said Thursday. In a written statement, he called Peronto "a beloved member of the Prevea family."

Peronto's family members, also in a written statement, said she was "a truly amazing daughter, sister and friend" and said she was "a bright and shining light to many." The family asked the community to respect their privacy as they work to cope with the loss.

Text notifies neighbors

In a message sent to area residents' cellphones about 11 a.m., and shared on Twitter, Ashwaubenon Public Safety warned people living on or near Cedar Ridge to remain in their homes and shelter in place. They lifted the order by 2:15 p.m.

After having the neighbors evacuate the area, a Brown County SWAT team put a camera inside the garage. Images from the camera showed two motionless bodies on the floor. 

Police are working to determine a motive for the shooting. Investigators remained at the scene after nearby streets reopened, and as neighbors began to return to their homes. 

Uhl on Thursday afternoon called the situation "obviously very tragic," but said he was thankful that no others were hurt.

Contact Doug Schneider at (920) 431-8333, or DSchneid@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter at @PGDougSchneider.