Wisconsin man shoots and kills 8-year-old stepson while attempting to ‘look cool’ by showing off guns, cops say

[essentialsaltes]

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.

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

 

[durangodawood]

Emblematic of so much of the American attitude toward guns. Fun ego enhancement accessories.

 

[Nithavela]

I don't know, seems pretty cool to me.

 

[Aryeh Jay]

I seem to remember something about not pointing a firearm at anything you don't intend to shoot and not drinking tiny drinks of alcohol before handling a firearm.

Also, for me, 2 AM is not the time I show off how cool I am by pointing guns at people, but then, I don't live in Wisconsin.

 

[essentialsaltes]

I don't know, seems pretty cool to me.

The news article was sadly deficient by not telling us what John Woo pose he was using.

 

[Laodicean60]

That's a sad excuse for murder.

Also, for me, 2 AM is not the time I show off how cool I am by pointing guns at people, but then, I don't live in Wisconsin.

Also, 2 AM is not a time for 8-year-olds to be awake, which seems suspicious to me. If not murder the guy should be placed in jail for stupidity.

 

[FenderTL5]

Lord have mercy.

 

[SarahsKnight]

Emblematic of so much of the American attitude toward guns. Fun ego enhancement accessories.

Amen to that.

 

[Bob Crowley]

I seem to remember something about not pointing a firearm at anything you don't intend to shoot and not drinking tiny drinks of alcohol before handling a firearm.

Years ago I was driving a cab part time and I picked up a bloke in a wheelchair.

When we got around to talking about the wheelchair, I asked him what happened to cause him to be partly paralysed.

He gave the cryptic reply "Guns and alcohol don't mix".

 

[Aryeh Jay]

Years ago I was driving a cab part time and I picked up a bloke in a wheelchair.

When we got around to talking about the wheelchair, I asked him what happened to cause him to be partly paralysed.

He gave the cryptic reply "Guns and alcohol don't mix".

I met a person who was missing their thumb, apparently loaded shot guns aren't supposed to be used as walking sticks either.

 

[RileyG]

I hate guns. Lord have mercy!

 

[Aryeh Jay]

I hate guns. Lord have mercy!

That is your right. I have guns and use them in my work. And with the exception of work guns, my home guns haven't killed anything in 35 years. Unintended bugs and microscopic things down range excluded.

 

[RileyG]

That is your right. I have guns and use them in my work. And with the exception of work guns, my home guns haven't killed anything in 35 years. Unintended bugs and microscopic things down range excluded.

Amen! That is also your right! I will defend that!

 

[Aryeh Jay]

Amen! That is also your right! I will defend that!

I don't hunt and don't go to Walmart armed looking for troublemakers. 90% of what I have are duplicates of my work guns and all they shoot is paper and steel with the occasional soda bottle. I hate that I have to use them at all in the Navy but that's what the world is.

 

[RileyG]

I don't hunt and don't go to Walmart armed looking for troublemakers. 90% of what I have are duplicates of my work guns and all they shoot is paper and steel with the occasional soda bottle. I hate that I have to use them at all in the Navy but that's what the world is.

Hey! It's your right! I'm 100% ok with doing what you want, safely.