Greendale Man Charged In Brookfield Shooting: Police

GREENDALE, WI—A 78-year-old retired investment management services owner is accused of shooting his former business partner in the head, according to officials.

Lauren Toll, of Greendale, was charged on Friday in Waukesha County Circuit Court on one count of attempted first-degree intentional homicide and dangerous use of a weapon. Toll's cash bail was set at $350,000. His next court date is Nov. 30.
The City of Brookfield Police were dispatched to Charter Capital Management, 13805 W. Burleigh Rd., for a shooting. The victim told police he was walking to his car and noticed an older man trying to get his attention, according to the criminal complaint.

The man was carrying a briefcase and a handgun, the complaint said. After the victim closed his car door, the complaint says he noticed the older man standing outside. The victim heard a gunshot followed by the older man stating, "Get out and I won't kill you," the complaint says. The victim began to drive away and heard additional gunshots and one of the gunshots broke the driver's side window, the complaint said. The victim realized he had been shot in the back of the head, the complaint said.

The victim said the only person who would have resentful feelings toward him was Toll, who was his former business partner, according to the complaint. In October 2011, the victim agreed to buy Toll's portion of the business. The agreement was Toll would be paid quarterly over ten years and the final payment had been made recently, according to the complaint.

The victim believed Toll was resentful over the sale price of the business and that he should have received more money than what the agreement stated, the complaint says. The victim said Toll had called Charter Capital Investments on two occasions recently and described Toll as "unsteady," the complaint said.

After the shooting, a witness told police an older man wearing blue latex gloves fell in a pile of leaves near a school parking lot. After helping Toll up, the witness said he got into an older sedan and drove off, the complaint said. Police later found a handgun in the pile of leaves, the complaint said.

A detective arrived at Toll's house after his wife reported Toll was late coming home. Shortly after reporting him missing, Toll called his wife and told her he was in Chicago, according to the complaint. She allowed police to come inside the home and they found documents with Charter Capital Management's name in plain view, the complaint said.

Toll's wife told police that Toll always felt like "the victim strong-armed him into the sale," according to the complaint. The wife put Toll on speakerphone as police heard him mention how he got into an altercation with the victim and was worried what the victim was going to say and about police coming to the house, the complaint said.

According to the complaint, Toll's wife said in August 2019, Toll started asking friends to help him get a gun. Toll told her he wanted to kill the victim and told his wife it would help them financially if he killed the victim, according to the complaint. He had an $800,000 life insurance policy on the victim due to their business transaction, the complaint said. Toll's wife told police he was concerned how they would manage without receiving further money from the victim, the complaint said.

Inside the home, the complaint says police found a crumpled up piece of paper which said, "Sunday, most important review" with the following list: black bag, practice falling, flash, weaponry, gloves, shoes, hat, mask, clothes, practice, and gas. Online credit card documents showed a hotel room rented in Beloit, the complaint said.

Police found Toll at the Beloit hotel and he was taken into custody in connection to the shooting.