CRANDON, Wis. (AP) -- The Crandon City Council turned down claims Wednesday seeking millions of dollars in damages for families who had relatives gunned down last fall in the shooting rampage by an off-duty officer.

The eight-member council considered 12 notices of claims that allege Tyler Peterson's employers - the city police department and the Forest County Sheriff's Department - were negligent in hiring and supervising him.

Peterson was a sheriff's deputy and part-time police officer.

Filing the claims was the first step in a possible civil wrongful death lawsuit in the rampage that killed six young people at a late-night party.

City Attorney Lindsay Erickson says the council discussed the claims in closed session and then disallowed each individually by unanimous votes.

Similar claims were filed with Forest County, which has taken no action on them.