Fremont man sentenced in accidental shooting of child at family barbecue
By MATT SANCTIS
Staff writer
A Fremont man was sentenced Thursday to 180 days in jail after he accidentally shot a child while intoxicated at a family barbecue.
Steven Nitschke, 36, of 2236 1/2 W. State St., pleaded guilty Dec. 2. to one count of endangering children, a third-degree felony, and one count of improperly furnishing firearms to a minor, a fifth-degree felony.
Sandusky County Common Pleas Court Judge Harry Sargeant Jr. also sentenced Nitschke to five years in a community control program.
He was also sentenced to 60 hours of community service and will be on intensive supervision for one year after he is released from jail. Sargeant said if Nitschke violates the terms of the program or his probation, he could face as many as six years in prison.
Jeremiah Ray, Nitschke’s attorney, said his client will also be responsible for court costs.
Nitschke was originally indicted on six counts of endangering children and six counts of improperly furnishing firearms to a minor, but the charges were reduced in exchange for the guilty plea.
Nitschke was at a family gathering when he and a roommate, Stephen Keck, passed out firearms to at least six children while playing “war games.”
A 12-year-old boy was injured in the abdomen and hand when he was shot with a high-powered rifle that was thought to be unloaded. The child was taken by Life Flight Emergency Helicopter to St. Vincent Mercy Medical Center in Toledo where he underwent surgery for the injuries.
Court records show a weapon was given to one child who was 8 years old at the time.
Ray said police confiscated at least 15 firearms, as well as knives and martial arts weapons from Nitschke, who was a weapons collector. Two of the firearms confiscated from Nitschke’s apartment were later found to be stolen, Ray said. Police are still investigating where the weapons came from.
Nitschke addressed Sargeant during the hearing, expressing remorse for the incident. He said he will continue to attend an alcohol treatment program. He will also never be permitted to own a firearm again.
“I failed to take attention to what could possibly happen,” Nitschke told Sargeant. “After that night, I had to put a lot of things into perspective. I am certainly remorseful to what happened to the victim and their family. That could have been my son.”
http://www.thenews-messenger.com/news/stories/20050217/localnews/2001433.html
Obviously we can conclude doing TMA makes you a bad person.