Following the issuance of a warrant for David Schultheis's arrest on a charge of careless discharge of a handgun, the Monroe County Sheriff's Department reports that Schultheis, who is 34 years old, turned himself in to the authorities. With the use of a pistol, he was able to knock down a buzzard that had penetrated a brick office building in Waterloo, Illinois, according to the findings of an inquiry into the shooting death of his daughter, Emma Schultheis, who was 14 years old.According to the police, Schultheis started firing at the bird without looking.
"Schultheis inserted only his arm into the room — keeping his head outside the doorway to avoid potential ricochet — before pulling the trigger," according to the statement issued by law enforcement. According to investigators, the bullet "struck the bird, passed through it, exited the building through a window, and ultimately struck his daughter, Emma Schultheis, who was outside."
At 1:34 p.m. on July 21, the police arrived at the site and discovered Emma suffering from gunshot wounds. They then transported her to the hospital for treatment. It was determined that she had passed away despite the efforts of the medical professionals to save her life. It would have been less than a week before she would have turned 15 years old.
In addition, the police came to the conclusion that Karen Schwarze, who is 58 years old, made an attempt to conceal both Emma's death and the Taurus.40 caliber handgun that Schultheis reportedly used when he murdered his daughter. Additionally, she made an effort to "influence others not to speak with law enforcement officers during the early stages of the investigation," according to the police. There was a lack of transparency regarding Schwarze's relationship with Schultheis from the authorities.
Schultheis allegedly handed himself in to the authorities and was subsequently freed after being arrested on one count of irresponsible discharge of a handgun, according to the police reporting. During an interview with the Bellville News-Democrat, Monroe County Sheriff Neal Rohlfing stated that the authorities did not submit a petition to the court for pretrial detention. The initial court appearance that Schultheis was supposed to make was slated to take place on Thursday.
Additionally, it was anticipated that Schwarze would turn herself in to the police "in the near future" after she was accused with obstructing justice and concealing the death of a person who had been murdered.
In an interview with the Bellville News-Democrat, Sheriff Rohlfing stated that the shooting was "not intentional," and he added, "We feel terrible for the family and friends."
Law & Crime was the first publication to publish the article that a father, in an effort to "avoid potential ricochet," fired blindly at a buzzard, resulting in the death of his daughter, who was 14 years old.