In a case investigators are describing as an tragic accident, authorities are considering whether or not to charge a 17-year-old with negligent homicide after he fired a bullet through his bedroom window killing his friend.
According to police reports, the unidentified teen suspect was?startled when 15-year-old Mackeon Schulte and another friend knocked on his window at 2:30 am on May 17th.
Police say that the alarmed teenager grabbed a revolver?–?which is being described as a ?family heirloom??–?and shot through the glass, striking Schulte in the head.
Police are investigating the shooting as a homicide. Many expect authorities to decide?if negligence played a role in Schulte’s death. It will then be up to the prosecutor to bring charges against the unidentified teen suspect.
Billings police Capt. John Bedford said the suspect was not considered to be an immediate danger to the public, and criminal charges could run the risk of compounding a horrible situation. Bedford said this:
“We’re not going to rush to judgment,” he said. “There’s enough damage that’s already been done.”
Local prosecutors will have to decide between three types of homicide charges if they do decide to charge the teenager: deliberate, mitigated, and negligent.
Negligent homicide would apply if they feel the teen should have been aware that their actions could cause a death but chose to disregard that risk. According to Andrew King-Ries, associate dean at the University of Montana School of Law:
“When you shoot a gun, you’re probably aware there’s a risk,” King-Ries said. “If you can establish negligence, it’s not an accident.”
“You don’t necessarily have to have intent,” he said. “Was this young man negligent in not identifying his target before firing the gun?”
Prosecutors can also consider the wishes of the victim’s family. Chief Bedford added:
“There’s going to have to be some kind of acknowledgment of what this young man did,”
Montana’s ?castle doctrine” could also play a role in the prosecution’s decision on whether or not to charge the teen.
Neighbors described the teenage suspect as friendly,
“He’s a great kid, and it’s a really nice family,” said Emily Duncan, who lives next door. “We’re just sad they’re going through this.?
Unfortunately tragedies like this play out everyday around the country. This incident is just a brief look through the window of America’s gun culture, which has been a breeding ground for fear and paranoia. Personally I believe in everyone’s right to bear arms, however we must also acknowledge that inherent fear that goes along with a person’s decision to purchase and ultimately use a firearm.
This fear could have very legitimate sources, such as a woman trying to protect herself against an abusive ex. But this fear could also manifest into fatal paranoia such a teen shooting through a window after hearing a bump in the night.
Here is video coverage of this story.
