8-Year-Old Who Was 'Beloved by All' Is Fatally Shot, and Stepfather Is Suspect

Mar. 15, 2025

Michael Meagher.Photo:GoFundMe

GoFundMe

An arrest was made after an 8-year-old Illinois boy was shot and killed in Wisconsin.

Officers were called to a home in Lake Geneva, Wis., on a report of a shooting at around 2:25 a.m. on Monday, Jan. 20, according to anews releasefrom the Town of Geneva Police Department.

Police said a boy had been shot and was taken to a local hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

In a statement shared with PEOPLE on Wednesday, Jan. 22, the Brookfield LaGrange Park District 95 in Illinois identified the boy as second-grade student Michael Meager.

“In the coming weeks and months, we will celebrate Michael’s life. Our focus now is on supporting the Meagher Family and our school community in every possible way during this difficult time,” the statement concluded.

Loved ones remembered Michael as a “bright” and “funny” 8-year-old boy on aGoFundMe campaigncreated to help his family offset funeral costs.

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He is charged with first-degree reckless homicide and is being held in the Walworth County Jail, police said. It’s unclear if he has entered a plea or retained an attorney to speak on his behalf.

source: people.com