A 14-year-old Illinois girl died after being struck by a bullet that police say her father fired while trying to shoot a bird inside a building, authorities said.
Monroe County deputies responded to a medical emergency on July 21 and found Emma Schultheis with a gunshot wound. Emergency responders reached the scene within minutes and provided life-saving care, but Emma later died at a St. Louis hospital, the Monroe County Sheriff's Department said. Investigators allege the shot was fired by her father, 34-year-old David A. Schultheis, while he was attempting to shoot a bird that had entered a structure.
Sheriff's investigators described a chain of events in which the father discharged a handgun inside the building. Deputies said he placed his arm in the room and kept his head outside the doorway to avoid a potential ricochet. When the gun fired, the bullet struck the bird, passed through the animal, exited the building and struck Emma, who was outside at the time in the town of Waterloo. Emma lived in the village of Prairie Du Rocher, officials said.
The Monroe County Sheriff's Department opened an investigation into the shooting. Authorities provided the sequence of events but did not immediately release information about any charges or the status of the father's custody as of the department's public update.
Local emergency services transported Emma to a St. Louis hospital after first responders performed on-scene medical care. The sheriff's office did not disclose additional medical details beyond confirming she died at the hospital. The agency also did not release statements from family members.
The incident has drawn attention from residents in the small communities involved. Monroe County covers a largely rural area southwest of St. Louis; Prairie Du Rocher and Waterloo are within the county's jurisdiction. Law enforcement agencies routinely investigate shootings that result in injury or death to determine the circumstances and whether criminal charges are warranted.
The sheriff's department said the investigation remains ongoing and that further information would be released as it becomes available. The case will be reviewed in accordance with state law and county procedures for shootings involving civilians and firearms.
No public records released by the sheriff's office as of the latest update include a statement of intent to press charges, forthcoming court filings, or a timeline for prosecutorial decisions. Authorities have not provided additional comment on the family's status or any pending legal steps.
The sheriff's department urged anyone with information about the July 21 incident to contact investigators. Media inquiries were directed to the Monroe County Sheriff's Department; as of the department's most recent public release, further details were limited to the sequence described by deputies.
Emma Schultheis was 14. The sheriff's department identified her father as 34-year-old David A. Schultheis and said the shooting occurred in the late July incident reported to deputies on July 21. The investigation remains active, and the sheriff's office said updates would be provided when they are available.