Homicide Investigation Underway at Branched Oak Lake Following Tuesday Night Shooting
MALCOLM–(KFOR July 20)–A 42-year-old Lincoln man was shot and killed late Tuesday night during a gathering on a boat moored at Branched Oak Lake marina.
Lancaster County Sheriff Terry Wagner on Wednesday morning said that deputies were called just before 11:30pm Tuesday about a report of gunshots and found a man, later identified as Benjamin Case of Lincoln, with gunshot wounds. Case and a group of people were socializing on the boat, when they felt an unknown person step aboard. According to the account of the survivors, Case, the owner of the boat opened the door and was immediately shot.
Case was pronounced dead at the scene and the shooter fled the scene in a vehicle. That person is still at large and remains unknown.
Sheriff Wagner called what happened a “terribly tragic situation.”
Wagner said the shooter fired two shots before taking off. No one else was hurt. Wagner adds the gunman seemed to know where he was going, perhaps indicating that it may have been targeted.
“He (the shooter) knew where he was headed. It wasn’t a random situation, we don’t believe,” according to Wagner. He says no weapon has been recovered and the gunman used a handgun.
The marina, boat launching area and Areas 10 and 11 of Branched Oak Lake were reopened to the public just before 1pm Wednesday.