TALLMADGE TOWNSHIP, Mich. — The man believed to have fired a gun during a house party in rural Ottawa County last month could spend the rest of his life in prison after criminal charges were filed against him this week.
Westen Meulenberg was arraigned Thursday morning on one count of Discharging a Firearm in a Building Causing Death. The 20-year-old is accused of firing a gun multiple times into the floor of an upstairs bedroom. All of the bullets went through the floor, one of which hit 19-year-old Connor Lotterman in the head. He died days later.
WATCH BELOW: Investigators detail what happened in deadly shooting at Ottawa County house party
Meulenberg allegedly fired the gun after finding it inside the home on May 9. The house on 2nd Avenue in Tallmadge Township was the site of a party of 10 to 20 people.
Investigators do not believe Meulenberg had any intention of harming Lotterman. Police believe alcohol played a role in the shooting. The medical examiner ruled the death as accidental.
Meulenberg's bond was set at $50,000. If convicted of Discharging a Firearm in a Building Causing Death, he could face up to life in prison.
His next court date is set for mid-June.
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