Oconomowoc’s long-running, unofficial homecoming prank tradition—known locally as TP Wars or homecoming wars—has produced two unusual and escalating incidents this week in Lake Country. One sent a high school student to the hospital after a car was smashed with an aluminum bat. The other, reported overnight, involved teenagers allegedly taking cats from a residence and a homeowner firing a rifle as they fled. No one was hit in the second case. Both are under investigation as the city prepares for Friday’s homecoming parade and football game.
The tradition is not school-sanctioned. Juniors and seniors have historically “opted in” to cover each other’s trees, yards, and sometimes cars with toilet paper during homecoming week. School resource officers have already urged students to drop it after the first incident. Official events continue: pep rally Friday morning, parade at 5:15 p.m. through downtown, and the Raccoons vs. Arrowhead game at 7 p.m. at Rux Stadium.
Homeowner Fires Rifle After Teens Allegedly Steal Cats
Oconomowoc Police are investigating a shooting that occurred Thursday night, according to scanner audio reported Friday morning. A group of teenagers believed to be participating in homecoming wars targeted a residence and reportedly stole cats from the house. The homeowner then fired numerous shots from a rifle at the fleeing group. No injuries were reported.
Details remain preliminary. Waukesha Alerts, which monitors police and fire radio traffic, posted the account Friday and noted that scanner information does not reflect the final outcome of an investigation. As of Friday morning there was no widely published official statement from the Oconomowoc Police Department naming suspects, confirming the theft, or describing the exact location.
This crime is unusual even by the standards of a prank week that already involves trespass and property damage. Stealing pets crosses from vandalism into theft of living animals; discharging a rifle at fleeing people—even after an alleged break-in or theft—raises separate questions about use of force that investigators will have to sort out.
Online reaction on the scanner post mixed sympathy for a homeowner whose animals were taken with criticism of teenagers choosing cats as a “prank” target. Police have not released whether the cats were recovered or whether anyone has been identified or charged.
19-Year-Old Arrested After Bat Attack on Car Full of Students
On Monday night, during the same TP Wars activity, a 19-year-old man who is not a student in the Oconomowoc Area School District allegedly attacked a car full of Oconomowoc High School students. He first threw beer bottles at the vehicle, then used an aluminum baseball bat to smash windows and dent doors, causing thousands of dollars in damage. At least one student—the son of Jason LaCombe, who was driving—was taken to the hospital with a face and eye injury.
Oconomowoc Police arrested the 19-year-old. The Waukesha County District Attorney’s Office is reviewing charges. Police confirmed the suspect is not enrolled in the school district.
LaCombe, who has had three children go through the schools, described TP Wars as a long-standing community tradition that students treat as opt-in. He said the attack went far beyond that. “An individual came out who was a resident of the house and started throwing beer bottles at them and then proceeded to grab a bat… and hit the car windows out of my son’s car,” he told TMJ4. He called for accountability: “We want to see justice served as a community; enough is enough.”
After the Monday incident, the high school resource officer urged students to end the activity. The school itself does not organize or endorse the toilet-papering.
The Lake Country region is not a high-crime corridor. These incidents stand out because they are tied to a student ritual that has historically stayed in the realm of late-night toilet paper yards in the community, not smashing cars with baseball bats, rifles, and stolen pets.
Police have not linked the two events beyond the shared “Homecoming wars” label. Friday’s parade and game will proceed as scheduled, with road closures along the downtown route beginning around 5 p.m. Anyone with information about either incident is asked to contact the Oconomowoc Police Department (262) 567-4401
