WAYNE, Neb. (KCAU) — A Wisner man has been charged with killing his father after a September 2022 incident.

On September 7, 2022, around 7:15 p.m., the Wayne County Sheriff’s Office was called to 320 Y Road, about seven miles northwest of Wisner, for a report of a shooting. Court documents state that the Cuming County Dispatch received a 911 call that had then been hung up. Calling the number back, Carl Ruskamp, 31, of Wisner, told dispatch that his father, Gerald Ruskamp, had been shot by someone and they needed help.

Carl Ruskamp said that he was outside when he heard a gunshot, and when he went inside, he saw his father lying on the couch bleeding, having been shot in the back of the head, and that he was still breathing. He said he tried to find his uncle who lived there but couldn’t. He said he did not see a weapon in the area.

Authorities arrived and took Gerald Ruskamp to a local hospital where he later died.

Carl Ruskamp told authorities he saw a person in all black with a black mask run north from the resident after the gunshot.

While executing a search warrant, authorities found a “marijuana grow operation in the home and side yard. The operation included five marijuana plants, a grow tent, fertilizers, a hydroponic system, grow lights, a ballast, “plant material appearing to be marijuana” throughout the house, and drug paraphernalia.

In Carl Ruskamp’s bedroom, officials allegedly found .22 caliber cartridges on his bed and in the dresser, there was also a Ruger .22 caliber rifle in another bedroom, a fired .22 caliber ammunition casing in the living room area, and a fired .22 caliber ammunition casing on the ground near the south steps of the residence.

Carl Ruskamp and his uncle, Duane Ruskamp, 65, both said they lived at the residence and that they both had no knowledge of the grow operation. They were both arrested on charges related to the grow operation.

In a follow-up interview, Duane Ruskamp said Carl Ruskamp arrived at the residence before Gerald Ruskcamp, adding that he heard Carl Ruskamp on the phone say something to the manner of “kill Ger,” documents state. He added that when Gerald Ruskamp showed up, he and Carl Ruskamp argued over money to rent an apartment.

Duane Ruskamp said he then went to tend to the animals but checked in on Carl and Gerald Ruskamp and saw them in the living room not talking. Duane Ruskamp then went back outside to continue chores. He then saw law enforcement at the residence and ran to the house.

Carl Ruskamp’s phone was seized as part of the investigation. Court documents said that a message had been sent the day before saying, “You’re going to wish you would’ve never did what you did my whole entire life and then some”. It was followed shortly with another saying, “Not after all this.” Authorities also found searches from Sep. 3 of “headshot to the head,” “front of brain damage,” and other such searches.

During an autopsy of Geral Ruskamp, a projectile had been recovered from his head. Documents state that the projectile “possess[ed] feature of 22 Long Rifle caliber bullets.” The bullet casings were found to also have been fired from the Ruger .22 caliber rifle mentioned earlier.

Carl Ruskamp has been charged with first-degree murder, use of a deadly weapon to commit a felony, and possession of a deadly weapon by a felon. An arrest warrant was filed for him with a bond of $1 million. An arraignment has been scheduled for November 20.