LIVING HERE
Stepdad accused of shooting stepson bound over for trial.
According to the criminal complaint, police were dispatched to a residence on Lincoln Drive in the Town of Geneva early Monday, Jan. 20. It was reported a boy had been shot. When officers arrived on the scene, they came upon the defendant, Steven Merkel. The complaint says he “seemed frantic and was covered in blood.” Officers were directed to the boy, Michael Meagher, who was lying on the floor after having been shot. The defendant stated after the shooting, he called the boy’s grandmother, who told the defendant to call 911. Emergency personnel attempted life-saving measures and Meagher was taken to a hospital where he was later pronounced deceased. Later in the day, the defendant spoke with a detective from the Walworth County Sheriff’s Office about what happened.
The defendant stated, “he did something stupid, and it wasn’t the (Meagher’s) fault that the defendant shot him,” the complaint says. Merkel told police he showed Meagher guns “because it made the defendant look cool.” Merkel went on to say he showed Meagher a stun gun and then went to his bedroom to get a 9mm handgun. Merkel told the detective he took the magazine out of the gun and did not believe the gun would fire without the magazine in it. The complaint says the defendant “stated that he walked out of the bedroom and pointed the gun at (Meagher). The defendant stated that the defendant pulled the trigger and was expecting it to click, but instead, it went ‘boom,’ shooting (Meagher).” Friends of Michael and his family described him as a bright, and funny boy who was a younger brother to two sisters. Friends of Michael’s family say they are still trying to understand how this happened.
Why did Merkel own guns without the basic knowledge of gun safety? Why was he drinking and decided to ‘play’ with guns was a good idea? Why was he left alone with the boy? There are a lot of unanswered questions that need answers. The Walworth County man is being held on referred charges for first-degree reckless homicide. Merkel appeared in court via video on Monday, January 27th, and pleaded not guilty to all charges against him. His next appearance is scheduled for Tuesday, April 15th at 8:30 a.m.
