A Wisconsin man has confessed to the fatal shooting of his 8-year-old stepson while demonstrating his firearms, stating to law enforcement that he was trying to “appear cool,” according to local authorities. Steven Merkel, 53, from Lake Geneva, pleaded guilty to first-degree reckless homicide on Wednesday, in relation to the death of his stepson, Michael Meagher, which occurred at a Lincoln Drive residence in Walworth County on January 20, as reported by the Town of Geneva Police Department and Walworth County District Attorney’s Office.
Merkel insisted that the shooting was unintentional after police discovered the critically injured Michael Meagher in Merkel’s residence, as per a statement by Geneva town supervisor Scott Williams, released on Facebook following Merkel’s guilty plea in Walworth County Circuit Court. Town of Geneva police and fire personnel arrived at the scene around 2:25 a.m. and found Michael with a single gunshot wound. Despite immediate life-saving efforts, the boy later died from his injuries at a local hospital.
Upon questioning, Merkel appeared frantic and was covered in blood, as per the criminal complaint obtained by a Milwaukee Fox affiliate. Merkel confessed to the police that he had “done something stupid,” and that it was not Meagher’s fault that he had been shot. When asked why he was showing the firearms to Michael, Merkel responded that it made him “look cool,” according to the complaint.
Merkel stated that he had removed the magazine from the 9 mm handgun that killed Michael, believing that it would not fire without it, as per the police report. The complaint detailed that Merkel had walked out of the bedroom and pointed the gun at Meagher, expecting the gun to click when he pulled the trigger. Instead, it fired, fatally wounding Meagher.
Merkel also admitted to the police that he had previously shown his handgun to Meagher, even pointing it at him while instructing him to listen. The complaint also noted that Merkel had consumed “two small drinks of rum and RC” on the evening of the shooting.
A GoFundMe campaign was initiated by the parents of one of Michael’s friends for his family, describing the incident as a “very traumatic accident.” The campaign description highlighted Michael as a “bright, funny boy” who was dearly loved by his friends. Merkel’s sentencing is scheduled for November 20.