OTTAWA COUNTY..MICH — A 19-year-old man is dead after a shooting during a party at a home in Tallmadge Township, Ottawa County, on May 9th. According to the Ottawa County Sheriff's Office, the shooting is considered accidental, but the investigation into the circumstances is ongoing.
"During that party, one of the subjects there ended up getting a hold of a firearm and fired multiple rounds from an upstairs bedroom down through the floor, through the ceiling," said Jake Sparks, Captain of the Detective Bureau at the Ottawa County Sheriff's Office.
The victim, Connor Lotterman, was struck in the head by one of the rounds and died from his injuries, Sparks said. The 20-year-old shooter used his own firearm, which was located in the house.
"The shooting was most definitely not an accident. Multiple rounds were fired," Sparks said. However, he added that the death was ultimately ruled accidental following an autopsy.
Sparks does not believe the shooter had any intention or motivation to harm Lotterman. The sheriff's office is still interviewing witnesses to fully understand the sequence of events. He says there were between 10 to 20 people there.
"Sometimes it's multiple interviews, two or three different times, with people to make sure you get the whole story accurately and correctly," Sparks said.
The sheriff's office believes alcohol was a factor in the incident. Investigators are working with the Ottawa County Prosecuting Attorney's Office to determine if any criminal charges will be filed against the shooter.
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