Mackeon Schulte
A Montana boy who awoke predawn Sunday to the sound of pebbles hitting his window and two people outside grabbed a gun and opened fire, killing a 15-year-old friend who police said had been trying to wake him.
The friend, identified by police as Mackeon Schulte, died at the hospital. A second friend who was also outside was not injured, Billings police said.
Police have yet to release the age and name of the shooter, as well as the other friend, because they are juveniles and no one has been arrested, the Associated Press reported.
Mackeon and his friend were having a sleepover when they decided to go to the boy's house at 2:30 a.m. Sunday. They then knocked on doors and threw pebbles at their friend's window in an attempt to wake him, police said.
"When their friend awoke, he was startled by the noise and saw faces outside the window," Billings Police Chief Rich St. John said in a statement Monday. "He didn't know who they were and was scared."
The boy grabbed a revolver that was in the bedroom and shot through the window, hitting Mackeon in the head, police said.
Mackeon's family is scheduled to meet with prosecutors before a decision is made on whether to rule the death a homicide.
Mackeon was a sophomore at Billings Senior High School, according to the Billings Gazette.
"This is a huge tragedy for Senior High and the district," Superintendent Terry Bouck told the newspaper. "We're just doing the best we can to make sure everyone is OK throughout this situation."
He added that crisis counselors would be made available to students.