A 15-year-old boy in Billings, Mont., died early Sunday morning after he tried to wake his friend by throwing rocks at his bedroom window but was shot in response.
Mackeon Schulte died from a bullet wound to the head at about 2:30 a.m. Another boy escaped without injury, according to the Billings Gazette.
Police have ruled the death an accident.
Schulte and his friend were apparently at a sleepover when they decided to visit the shooter’s house. In an attempt to wake the sleeping teen, the two boys knocked on his window and threw pebbles at his room. But he reportedly became frightened by the noise, grabbed a revolver and fired through the window.
No arrests have been made but investigators will be meeting with Schulte’s family and local officials to determine if charges will be filed.
“It’s a tragedy. We have to investigate at this point for what it is, but it’s a tragedy all around,” said police captain John Bedford.
More Must-Reads from TIME
- Introducing the 2024 TIME100 Next
- The Reinvention of J.D. Vance
- How to Survive Election Season Without Losing Your Mind
- Welcome to the Golden Age of Scams
- Did the Pandemic Break Our Brains?
- The Many Lives of Jack Antonoff
- 33 True Crime Documentaries That Shaped the Genre
- Why Gut Health Issues Are More Common in Women
Contact us at letters@time.com