Estimated read time: 4-5 minutes
- A Riverton stepfather, Joseph Lee, recklessly shot and killed his stepson, police say.
- Lee, who has military training, was teaching firearm safety when the incident occurred.
- Police arrested Lee for investigation of manslaughter, citing reckless handling despite his experience.
RIVERTON — A Riverton stepfather with military experience shot and killed his 18-year-old stepson while trying to teach gun safety to his daughter, according to police.
Joseph Le Page Lee, 46, was arrested Wednesday afternoon for investigation of manslaughter, Riverton Police Chief Shane Taylor confirmed.
The victim was identified Wednesday by his family as Haven McBride.
"Haven Alexander McBride was a kind, hardworking young man. He was an energetic, busy little boy who always kept you on your toes. He has overcome a lot of challenges due to the choices of the adults in his life. He graduated with honors from Mountain Ridge High School just last week. He had interest in going into forensics. He was preparing to serve a mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. We love Haven and our hearts are broken!" McBride's family said in a statement.
The incident happened about 3:15 p.m. Tuesday as Lee was showing family members his Glock handguns, the chief said.
"A 43-year-old female reported that her husband, who is later identified as Joseph Lee, had just shot her 18-year-old son. It was reported that it had been an accidental discharge of a firearm," according to a police booking affidavit.
McBride died a short time later at a local hospital.
The gun had a round in the chamber, and it went off while he was showing the gun to members of his family, Taylor said. It was also not immediately known how many others were present at the home, 13885 S. Kesler Peake Drive, when the shooting occurred.
Taylor says McBride was sitting on a couch in the living room with other family members and was shot in the head. The stepfather was across from him.
When questioned, Lee told police that he had two Glock handguns with him "as he was teaching his daughter how to use and operate the firearms. Joseph told investigators that he had been showing his daughter which of the two handguns was what he considered a 'dummy' gun. Joseph stated that what he considered a 'dummy' gun is the handgun they were going to use for training but is fully operable and can fire live ammunition," the affidavit states.
"Joseph explained that he cleared the 'dummy' gun, ensuring it was safe, and placed to his right side. Joseph said that as he was teaching his daughter, he must have grabbed the non 'dummy' gun, which at the time was loaded with live ammunition. He racked the slide and pulled the trigger," it states.
Detectives served a search warrant Wednesday to obtain video from a surveillance camera that was in the house, the chief said, hoping it would provide additional information about the shooting. Lee was arrested after the video was obtained.
"The video showed Joseph sitting on the floor as he described. The victim had stood up from the couch, which is positioned only a couple of feet in front of Joseph.
"The victim appears to be looking at the handgun, which was in Joseph's hand. As the victim goes to sit back down onto the couch, the top half of his body is bent slightly over his legs with the top of his head facing Joseph. Joseph is seen racking the slide, the firearm is near Joseph's stomach and legs when one round is fired from the handgun," according to the affidavit.
According to Utah law, a person commits manslaughter if that person "recklessly causes the death of another individual." Police also noted in their affidavit that Lee has military training.
"Joseph, in his interview, stated that he served in the United States Army as a Green Beret, meaning that he has had extensive training in the operation and safe handling of firearms," officers wrote.
Because of that, Lee should have known to "treat every weapon as if it is loaded. Handle every weapon with care" and "Never point the muzzle at anything you don't intend to shoot," the affidavit states.
"I believe that based on the totality of the circumstances there is probable cause to believe that Joseph, despite his training and experience, handled his firearm in a reckless nature which evidently caused the death of another," the arrest officer wrote in the affidavit.
On social media, several extended their condolences to the family, including Riverton Councilman Andy Pierucci.
"Please join me in praying for peace for the family & friends impacted by the tragic shooting," he posted on Facebook. "Our community is great because our people are good. Tough times are when our city does what it does best, gather together to build each other up. I'm committed to being a builder and urge us all to do more to reach out in love and kindness to those around us. Life is precious."
