Waukesha man charged after allegedly killing grandmother during argument; bond set at $1M

WAUKESHA, Wis. (CBS 58) -- A Waukesha man is facing criminal charges after allegedly shooting and killing his grandmother. 

Sean Couture, 24, faces the following charges:

• First degree intentional homicide, domestic abuse
• Failure to comply with officer's attempt to take person into custody
• Possession of a firearm while intoxicated

A criminal complaint says on Aug. 25, police were contacted by a woman identifying herself as Couture's stepmother, who said she was out of state on vacation with Couture's father. The woman reported that Couture had called his father moments earlier and said, "It's over, it's over," that he'd shot his grandmother and was going to shoot himself.

Law enforcement officers from multiple agencies responded to the home on Douglass Avenue and attempted to make contact with Couture, who police say refused to come out of the residence. 

Officers sent a drone into the home and saw who they believed to be a victim lying motionless on the stairs leading to the basement. Upon seeing the victim, the complaint says police performed a victim rescue technique, sending several tactical officers into the home and transporting the woman to a nearby ambulance.

Prosecutors say the victim was later determined to be Couture's grandmother, who suffered several gunshot wounds and was pronounced deceased. 

Couture was taken into custody after law enforcement deployed CS spray and released a K-9 officer into the home.

The complaint says a search of the home yielded a loaded semi-automatic firearm with one round in the chamber, an additional loaded firearm magazine, loose ammunition, and two spent cartridge casings. After searching the kitchen and basement stairs, seven additional spent cartridge casings were located. Officers also found a receipt for the semi-automatic firearm, showing that Couture purchased the gun in June of this year. 

The medical examiner's report ruled the victim's manner of death as homicide after suffering six gunshot wounds. 

Couture was taken to an area hospital, according to the complaint, where it was determined that his blood alcohol concentration was 0.45. 

Prosecutors say Couture ultimately admitted to police that he and his grandmother were arguing on the night of Aug. 25, after she discovered a gun in his room. He said he believed she was going to call the police, and he shot her as she was just outside the side door of the home. The complaint says he admitted to dragging the victim's body inside the home because he didn't want to leave her outside. He went on to state that he had been drinking alcohol before shooting his grandmother and went into his bedroom and drank more after shooting her. 

Court records show cash bond has been set at $1 million. 

A preliminary hearing is set for Oct. 2.