Stepdad Pleads Guilty to Fatally Shooting 8-Year-Old Boy While Trying to ‘Look Cool’
Share and Follow

A Wisconsin man pleaded guilty Wednesday to reckless homicide in the fatal shooting of his 8-year-old stepson earlier this year while trying to “look cool” by showing off his guns.

Steven Merkel, 53, is expected to be sentenced on November 20, the Town of Geneva said in a Facebook post.

Merkel called 911 at about 2 a.m. on January 20, telling detectives “he did something stupid,” as CrimeOnline previously reported. Merkel said he was showing this stepson, Michael Meagher, his guns “because it made the defendant look cool,” a police report said. He said he had taken the magazine out and assumed the gun wouldn’t fire, even though there was a bullet in the chamber, apparently because he was not very knowledgeable about guns.

The complaint  said that Merkel retrieved his gun from the bedroom and exited, pointing the gun at the boy and pulled the trigger. He said he expected it to “click,” but instead it went “boom.”

Meagher was taken to a hospital, where he died.

Merkel also said he had “two little drinks of rum and RC that evening,” although there was no indication police checked him for intoxication.

Share and Follow
You May Also Like

Father of Neglected Child with Sealed Mouth Receives Sentencing

Inset: Anthony Yonko (Oklahoma County Detention Center). Background: The apartment complex where…

Shocking Twist: Husband Fights Death Row After Beloved Doctor Mom Found Murdered at Home

Dr. Teresa Sievers, a respected and admired medical doctor, set off on…

Newberry Resident Faces New Drug Charges Just Days After Previous Arrest

Staff Report NEWBERRY, Fla. – Authorities apprehended 23-year-old Darius Dwayne Stackhouse, Jr.…

Florida Woman’s Wild Front Yard Drama: Shocking Arrest Caught on Camera!

Inset: Laylani Sullivan (Polk County Sheriff”s Office). Background: The residence where Sullivan…

Teen Accused of Threatening Uncle with High-Capacity Firearm

Insets: Kevin Lowery (Shelby County Jail). The gun Lowery allegedly possessed (Memphis…

John Bolton’s Involvement Unveiled: The Untold Story Behind Recent Political Turmoil

Former National Security Advisor John Bolton leaves the stage after discussing the…

James Comey Suggests FBI May Have Been Compromised by ‘Tainted’ Special Agent, Sparking Controversy

Left: Lindsey Halligan, special assistant to the president, speaks with a reporter…

Shocking Incident: Man Arrested for Arson of Pride Flags on Residential Properties

Background: Video shows someone walking away after lighting a flag on fire…