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Lady Gaga Snerd


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17-year-old shot dead friend who knocked on his window at 230 am
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Parents beg for 17-year-old son to be spared jail after he shot dead friend who knocked on his window - and say they're to blame for letting him have a loaded gun 

  • Fifteen-year-old MacKeon 'Mackey' Schulte was killed as he and another boy tried to wake up Seth Culver at about 2:30 a.m.
  • The May shooting took place less than a block from where the three attended high school in Billings, Montana's largest city
  • Startled by the noises at his window, Culver grabbed a World War II-era, .38-caliber handgun given to him as a present by his father
  • He shot once through the glass, striking MacKeon in the head, according to authorities and Culver's parents

By Associated Press

Published: 02:48 EST, 25 July 2015 | Updated: 17:02 EST, 25 July 2015

 

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The parents of a Montana teenager who shot and killed a friend knocking on his bedroom window late at night say he shouldn't face criminal charges over what they describe as a tragic accident.

In an exclusive interview, they told The Associated Press that they blame themselves for allowing the teen to keep a loaded revolver in his room.

As a prosecutor moves to put the case before a special jury to decide on charges, the May shooting has revived the debate over the so-called Castle Doctrine that sometimes allows the use of lethal force to defend one's home. It's also raised questions about the 17-year-old shooter's easy access to the handgun, given his age.

Fifteen-year-old MacKeon 'Mackey' Schulte was killed as he and another boy tried to wake up Seth Culver at about 2:30 a.m., less than a block from where the three attended high school in Billings, Montana's largest city.

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Mother: Regina Culver stands outside the window of her Billings, Mont., home through which her 17-year-old son shot and killed a friend who was knocking on her son's window late at night (July 22 photo) 
 
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Mother: Regina Culver stands outside the window of her Billings, Mont., home through which her 17-year-old son shot and killed a friend who was knocking on her son's window late at night (July 22 photo) 

MacKeon Schulte
 
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Seth Culver
 
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Shooting: Startled by the noises at his window, Seth Culver (right) grabbed a handgun given to him as a present by his father and shot once through the glass, striking MacKeon Schulte (left) in the head

Startled by the noises at his window, Culver grabbed a World War II-era, .38-caliber handgun given to him as a present by his father and shot once through the glass, striking MacKeon in the head, according to authorities and Culver's parents.

The case will soon place the Culver family in an unwanted spotlight: Yellowstone County Attorney Scott Twito told the AP he will convene a coroner's jury next month to recommend whether criminal charges are warranted.

In interviews this week, Len and Regina Culver said they now realize they should not have allowed their son to keep the loaded revolver in his bedroom.

Len Culver, 60, said he had instructed his son on how to handle weapons responsibly, enrolling him in a hunter safety course when the boy was 13. Culver said he didn't know until police told him on the morning of the shooting that it's generally illegal under federal law for a person under 18 to possess a handgun.

'I don't want them to make some BS, liberal deal out of this,' Len Culver said. 'He did it. Yes, he did it. But let's treat it like what it is. It isn't going to happen again. Mack's gone.'

The Culvers said criminal charges would merely compound a tragedy that has left their son despondent over his role in the death of one of his closest friends.

Regardless of whether the killing was intentional, police and outside experts have said Culver could face charges if it is determined that he disregarded the risks of not identifying his target before pulling the trigger.

Twito said he took the rare step of requesting the jury because of 'the dynamics involved in this case.'

 
Montana boy fires shot through window killing his friend
 
video-undefined-28D83D9300000578-316_636x358.jpg
 
Scene: Regina Culver points to the window of her home through which her 17-year-old son shot and killed Schulte. Culver says she doesn't think criminal charges are warranted in a case that prosecutors plan to put before a special coroner's jury
 
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Scene: Regina Culver points to the window of her home through which her 17-year-old son shot and killed Schulte. Culver says she doesn't think criminal charges are warranted in a case that prosecutors plan to put before a special coroner's jury

Schulte's family has not said publicly whether they want charges filed in the case

Schulte's family has not said publicly whether they want charges filed in the case

'The ages, circumstances, timing, relationships of the people — all of those things,' Twito said. 'I think it was an appropriate case to look at in this way.' Witnesses could include the families of the two friends.

Such proceedings are open to the public and are usually reserved for fatal shootings by police officers or the death of inmates in custody. The jury's findings would be advisory only and a final decision will be up to Twito's office.

Twito said it was unlikely that Culver's parents would face charges but added that he was 'going to let the process unfold.'

Immediately after the shooting, Schulte's family and friends rallied around Seth Culver to show support.

MacKeon's father, Sean-Paul Schulte, hugged Seth at MacKeon's funeral. Others spoke of the close bond the shooter and victim shared since they met during their freshman year at Billings Senior High School.

Seth Culver
 
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MacKeon Schulte
 
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Teenagers: Others haves spoken of the close bond shooter Seth Culver (left) and victim MacKeon Schulte (right) shared since they met during their freshman year at Billings Senior High School

Immediately after the shooting, Schulte's family and friends rallied around Seth Culver to show support
 
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Immediately after the shooting, Schulte's family and friends rallied around Seth Culver to show support

Regina Culver still carries on her cellphone a text she said she received from Sean-Paul Schulte directed to her son: 'Don't throw your life away. ... Mackey loved you. ... be strong as u can, study and do pushups,' a portion of the message read.

Schulte's family has not said publicly whether they want charges filed in the case. But Sean-Paul Schulte said he believes both boys had been 'desensitized' to violence by the video games they played.

'It's hard to say it's an accident when you grab a gun and shoot someone on purpose,' Sean-Paul Schulte said. 'I don't want some other dad in my position.'

Several weeks before the killing, Seth Culver took the handgun without his parents' permission to a sleepover at MacKeon's house, his parents said. When they discovered the weapon was missing from the drawer by their son's bed, he had to come home. Len Culver said his son was yelled at for taking the gun and told he couldn't take it out of the house again without telling them.

Looking back on that incident as she stood outside the window where MacKeon was killed, Regina Culver said she wished they had gone further.

She said the gun 'should have been taken away (but) we probably just took TV away from him.' 

'We're not the only ones that knew he had it,' she added. 'Mack knew he had it.' 

Incident: Authorities are seen outside the Billings home where the shooting took place 
 
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Incident: Authorities are seen outside the Billings home where the shooting took place 



Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3174190/Teens-killing-friend-goes-special-jury.html#ixzz3h0468wYY
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Blankie


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"Several weeks before the killing, Seth Culver took the handgun without his parents' permission to a sleepover at MacKeon's house, his parents said. When they discovered the weapon was missing from the drawer by their son's bed, he had to come home. Len Culver said his son was yelled at for taking the gun and told he couldn't take it out of the house again without telling them."

Well there you have it. The shooter's parents missed their golden opportunity to act. He already proved he was irresponsible with firearms, and they should have taken the gun away then.

Of course it was stupid for the two boys to go prowling around in the middle of the night.

Sad, sad story.

 



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huskerbb


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Gun control laws are meaningless. This kid wasn't supposed to have that type of gun, anyway, yet he still had one.

I would support legislation to make the parents at least partly responsible in this case, although at 17, it would be a short time until he could get a gun on his own, anyway. However, they deliberately gave him the gun. Some jail time for the kid may be the best they can do in this case--and that would be some sort of punishment for the parents.

I would not be in favor of legislation that would make them responsible if he had taken the gun without permission.

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Lady Gaga Snerd


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I would never let my teen son keep a loaded handgun in his room . That is just stupid.

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huskerbb


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Lady Gaga Snerd wrote:

I would never let my teen son keep a loaded handgun in his room . That is just stupid.

Yes, yes it is.  Beyond foolish. 

All he wants/needs it for at that age is to show it off to his friends--which is what he did.  It's not a hunting weapon.  They made no mention of him being in some sporting club.   



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Teens are so impulsive. Why would you even chance that? Not just shooting someone else but what if the shot himself either by accident or impulsively after something happened at school, etc? Why would anyone even take a chance like that in the first place?
I don't necessarily blame him. He is a minor. The parents are responsible for who gets shot with THEIR gun. But, someone peeping into a window at 230 am is kind of hard to defend. However if this was not the first time and they have had a history of going to each others' homes in the middle of night and tapping on their friends' bedroom windows, then this boy should have at least had that thought in his head.

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After he took the gun to his friend's house without permission, it should have been taken by the parents and secured so he could not get it without asking. Allowing him to have possession of the gun at all times is just stupid.

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huskerbb


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Lady Gaga Snerd wrote:

Teens are so impulsive. Why would you even chance that? Not just shooting someone else but what if the shot himself either by accident or impulsively after something happened at school, etc? Why would anyone even take a chance like that in the first place?
I don't necessarily blame him. He is a minor. The parents are responsible for who gets shot with THEIR gun. But, someone peeping into a window at 230 am is kind of hard to defend. However if this was not the first time and they have had a history of going to each others' homes in the middle of night and tapping on their friends' bedroom windows, then this boy should have at least had that thought in his head.

I don't buy the "he's a minor" thing.  He's within months of being a "major", so he has to bear some responsibility here.  It would hardly make a practical difference in the situation if he was two months past his 18th birthday, or a couple of months prior to it.   



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I just don't understand pulling the trigger before making sure you know what you're shooting at.


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The problem isn't that a 17 yr old had a handgun. Or that he took it out of the house. Or that he fired it.

The two big problems are, he hasn't been taught proper respect and handling of a gun and he didn't make sure he was shooting at a threat.

I can see a manslaughter charge. He could be out in 2 yrs.


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huskerbb


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lilyofcourse wrote:

The problem isn't that a 17 yr old had a handgun. Or that he took it out of the house. Or that he fired it.

The two big problems are, he hasn't been taught proper respect and handling of a gun and he didn't make sure he was shooting at a threat.

I can see a manslaughter charge. He could be out in 2 yrs.

They are all problems.  The fact that he hadn't been taught proper respect and handling of a gun means he shouldn't have had one in the first place. 

 

And yeah, taking it out of the house to show off to your friends is a problem.  He's lucky no one was hurt at that time.   



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weltschmerz wrote:

I just don't understand pulling the trigger before making sure you know what you're shooting at.

 Me, either.  That's one of the first rules they teach in hunter's safety--make SURE you know what you are shooting at before you pull the trigger.  Make SURE. 

 

You don't fire blind down an alley because someone knocked over a garbage can.  Similarly, just because you hear "something" outside your window doesn't mean you blindly fire out of it.

 

It could have been a family pet out doing their business.  It could have been a wild animal--which may or may not warrant gunplay, but if you don't KNOW, you don't shoot.

 

Heck, it's Montana, too.  It's not like it's a hotbed of home invasions.  I'm sure it happens there, but it's not the eight mile of Detroit.



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lilyofcourse


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I don't have a problem with a 17 yr old having a gun.

I have a problem with a 17 yr old having a gun without being taught proper handling and respect.

You probably grew up like me, everyone had a gun. Everyone.

Heck. When I was in high school, most everyone had one in their car at school.




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huskerbb


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lilyofcourse wrote:

I don't have a problem with a 17 yr old having a gun.

I have a problem with a 17 yr old having a gun without being taught proper handling and respect.

You probably grew up like me, everyone had a gun. Everyone.

Heck. When I was in high school, most everyone had one in their car at school.


Handguns are different than long guns.  Everyone had a long gun in their car at school--but few, if any, had a hand gun.   



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lilyofcourse


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I wonder if the push against guns, making them "bad" has caused more harm than good.

I mean, it seems these kinds of shootings happen more often.

Maybe it's just media attention.

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lilyofcourse


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huskerbb wrote:
lilyofcourse wrote:

I don't have a problem with a 17 yr old having a gun.

I have a problem with a 17 yr old having a gun without being taught proper handling and respect.

You probably grew up like me, everyone had a gun. Everyone.

Heck. When I was in high school, most everyone had one in their car at school.


Handguns are different than long guns.  Everyone had a long gun in their car at school--but few, if any, had a hand gun.   

 No. I mean handguns.

Of course we had hunting riffles or shot guns. Just about everyone had a .22. 

But most had handguns too.

Maybe it was just a regional thing.

I had a snub nose .38 and .45.

 



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huskerbb wrote:
weltschmerz wrote:

I just don't understand pulling the trigger before making sure you know what you're shooting at.

 Me, either.  That's one of the first rules they teach in hunter's safety--make SURE you know what you are shooting at before you pull the trigger.  Make SURE. 

 

You don't fire blind down an alley because someone knocked over a garbage can.  Similarly, just because you hear "something" outside your window doesn't mean you blindly fire out of it.

 

It could have been a family pet out doing their business.  It could have been a wild animal--which may or may not warrant gunplay, but if you don't KNOW, you don't shoot.

 

Heck, it's Montana, too.  It's not like it's a hotbed of home invasions.  I'm sure it happens there, but it's not the eight mile of Detroit.

 I was taking a bath not too long ago and heard someone trying to break in through the bathroom window. I jumped out of the tub, naked and armed only with a bar of grape-scented soap, to confront the intruder. It never even occurred to me to get the shotgun from my bedroom.

It was a raccoon trying to get in through the screen.



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