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Left inset: Steven Merkel (Walworth County Sheriff’s Office). Right inset: Steven Merkel’s 8-year-old stepson Michael Meagher (GoFundMe). Background: The residence where Steven Merkel allegedly shot his son (WITI/YouTube).
A man in Wisconsin showing off his guns to his 8-year-old stepson in an attempt to “look cool” shot and killed the youngster — telling cops afterward that “he did something stupid,” according to police.
Steven Merkel, 52, of Lake Geneva, is charged with first-degree reckless homicide in connection to the death of his stepson Michael Meagher at a residence on Lincoln Drive on Monday, according to the Town of Geneva Police Department and Walworth County District Attorney’s Office. The DA’s office reviewed the early morning shooting and charges were brought down later in the day Monday after the shooting was first reported at around 2:25 a.m., officials say.
“Upon arrival, Town of Geneva police officers and fire personnel located a young male that had been shot and began life saving measures,” a press release says. “The young male was transported to a local hospital where he later succumbed to his injuries.”
When officers arrived on the scene and approached Merkel, he “seemed frantic and was covered in blood,” according to the criminal complaint obtained by Milwaukee Fox affiliate WITI.
He later allegedly told cops that “he did something stupid, and it wasn’t (Meagher’s) fault” that he got shot. When police asked Merkel why he was showing Meagher the guns, he told them “because it made the defendant look cool,” the complaint states.
Merkel claimed he took the magazine out of the 9 mm handgun that was used to kill Meagher and was under the impression that it wouldn’t fire without it, police said.
“He walked out of the bedroom and pointed the gun at (Meagher),” the complaint says, per WITI. “The defendant stated that the defendant pulled the trigger and was expecting it to click, but instead it went ‘boom,’ shooting (Meagher).”
Merkel admitted to cops that he had pulled out his handgun to show Meagher before — even pointing it down toward him while ordering him to listen, the complaint says. He allegedly “drank two little drinks of rum and RC that evening” before the shooting.
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A GoFundMe launched for Meagher’s family by one of his friend’s parents describes the incident as a “very traumatic accident,” per the description.
“Michael was 8 years old & a bright funny boy!” the description says. “My son loved his friend (Meagher).”
Merkel is being held on a cash bond of $250,000 and is due in court Monday after his initial appearance was pushed back from Thursday.