A “person of interest” has been taken into custody in connection with the fatal shooting of a newlywed Wisconsin couple inside the sports bar where his wife worked, authorities said Monday.
Elkhorn Police provide an update on the shooting deaths of Gina Weingart, 37, and her “inseparable” husband Emerson Weingart, 33, at Sports Page Barr on February 1st. revealed.
“Authorities are focusing on investigative leads that led to the identification of a person of interest over the weekend,” the department said in a statement.
“The individuals involved were taken into custody on an unrelated matter as the investigation continues.”
The department did not release additional information, including details of “unrelated matters,” to “protect the integrity of the ongoing investigation,” they said.
But it’s common for investigators to seize suspects and dignitaries on unrelated, minor warrants while moving forward with cases to arrest them on more serious charges.
Police said the Weingarts, who married last summer, were the only two at the bar when a gunman walked in and shot them just after midnight last Thursday.
Multiple agencies rushed to the scene after receiving reports of shots fired at the business. The couple was found inside the bar with fatal gunshot wounds, but the suspect was nowhere to be found.
Police did not release a motive or a description of any potential suspects after the shooting, but Emerson’s father, Jeff Weingart, believed someone must have seen something.
“It’s heartbreaking,” he said. Weekend WIS. “Someone saw them. Somebody saw them. I don’t care, I won’t do that.
“I can’t believe it was just her and him at the bar. So someone had to see them, someone had to describe them, someone had to see the car as he drove away. They had better find him.”
His son and daughter-in-law started dating in 2020 and quickly became “inseparable.” According to their obituaries.
“Gina and Emerson Weingart were recently married in June 2023. They are the most beautiful, kind-hearted, fun-loving couple I have ever known,” their loved ones wrote.
Both husband and wife grew up in Wisconsin. Gina loved to sing and dance, and Emerson was an avid fisherman and a huge Green Bay Packers fan, according to her online obituary.
The owner of the bar where the couple were killed said the couple had been regulars for many years and were friendly with the staff and other patrons. He eventually offered Gina a part-time job at a watering hole where Emerson often hung out to keep her company when he worked late into the night.
“Their lives were just beginning and I think we can speak on behalf of the entire Sports Page family when we say that we are completely devastated by what happened,” Jordan Barr wrote on Facebook. . “This is a despicable act of violence that shakes us all to our core.”
Barr called the killer a “coward.”
Police have not said whether the couple was specifically targeted by the killer or whether it was a random attack.
