Man accused of fatally shooting 8-year-old boy at Geneva, Wisconsin home: officials

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Saturday, January 25, 2025
Man accused of fatally shooting 8-year-old boy at Wisconsin home
Walworth County man Steven Merkel appeared before a judge Tuesday afternoon.

GENEVA, Wis. -- The man accused of shooting and killing an 8-year-old boy in Wisconsin was in court Tuesday, WTMJ reported.

Showing up over Zoom in jail-issued clothes, 52-year-old Steven Merkel appeared before a judge Tuesday afternoon.

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The Walworth County man is being held on referred charges for first-degree reckless homicide.

"Given the serious nature of the offense, as well as the record, what I'm asking the court to do at this time is set a $250,000 cash bond," said Walworth County District Attorney Zeke Wiedenfeld.

Town of Geneva Police say they were called to Merkel's home early Monday morning and found a boy with a gunshot wound.

That boy's family identified him as 8-year-old named Michael. He died at the hospital from his injuries.

Friends of Michael and his family are now raising money for funeral costs. They described him as a bright, and funny boy who was a younger brother to two sisters.

"This is a serious charge and a serious incident. It's a reckless homicide involving a young child," Wiedenfeld said.

Merkel's defense attorney described him as a longtime member of Walworth County.

"This is someone who has deep ties to this community. This is someone who lives in this area, who has family in this area. This is someone who has connections to this area," his attorney said.

Friends of Michael's family say they are still trying to understand how this happened.

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