Mount Horeb man accidentally killed by friend with AR-15

MADISON, Wis. — Dane County law enforcement officials say a 19-year-old man who died of a gunshot wound over the weekend was killed when another man accidentally shot him with an AR-15.

Deputies with the Dane County Sheriff’s Office first responded to the 10000 block of Blue Mountain Avenue in Blue Mounds shortly before 5 a.m. Sunday for a report of a gunshot injury. When deputies arrived, they found six people inside the home, one of whom had suffered a fatal gunshot wound.

The Dane County Medical Examiner identified the victim Tuesday as 19-year-old Marshall Iverson of Mount Horeb. Officials said Iverson went by the name Levi.

The alleged shooter, 20-year-old Isaiah Miller, reportedly admitted to accidentally firing the round that ultimately killed Iverson, according to Dane County Sheriff Kalvin Barrett. Miller is being held in the Dane County Jail on tentative charges of homicide by negligent handling of a dangerous weapon and homicide by intoxicated use of a firearm.

Authorities said the rifle was legally bought and owned by one of the people inside the home at the time of the shooting.

After the shooting, Miller was taken to a local hospital where he consented to a blood test, but the results had not come back as of Wednesday afternoon.

Barrett said the five other individuals who were inside the home when deputies responded cooperated with the investigation. Barrett added that some of the individuals did not directly witness the shooting, but they were inside at the time.

During a Wednesday afternoon press conference, Barrett said the incident could have been avoided “with appropriate education and knowledge when handling firearms.”

Blue Mounds Police Chief Joey Hoops said the public was never in danger the safety of village residents remains a top priority for the department.

“At any time when you have an influx of law enforcement presence in a saturated area such as a neighborhood that is not used to seeing such high police presence, I think it’s fair to say that those people are going to be concerned as to what’s going on,” Hoops said. “With that being said, at no point was there any danger to the public.”