Beloit teen charged in shooting death of best friend (UPDATE)

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BELOIT, Wis. (AP) — A 17-year-old Beloit boy charged in the killing of his best friend while playing with a gun could face up to a decade in prison if convicted.

The Wisconsin State Journal reported Thursday that Rock County prosecutors charged Nikolas Wasilewski on Wednesday with homicide by negligent handling of a dangerous weapon in the death of 17-year-old Marcus Seichter, also of Beloit.

Wasilewski faces up to 10 years in prison and $25,000 in fines if he’s convicted.

According to a criminal complaint, Wasilewski’s mother called police to her home on Tuesday morning. Officers found Wasilewski standing outside a basement bedroom covered in blood and Seichter shot in the head.

Wasilewski’s mother was trying to perform CPR on Seichter. When police took over they couldn’t find a pulse. Seichter died at Beloit Memorial Hospital.

Police found a .357 revolver on the bed.

The mother said she was watching television when she heard a loud bang. Her son yelled at her to call 911 because Seichter had been shot. Wasilewski told police he was playing with the gun and it went off. He said the weapon belonged to Seichter.

The mother told police that the two boys had been best friends since they were 4 years old. She said they were like brothers.

Wasilewski was released from jail on Wednesday on a $10,000 signature bond. He was ordered to have no contact with Seichter’s family and to possess no weapons.

He is due to make his initial court appearance on Jan. 6. Online court records didn’t list an attorney for him. No residential telephone listing could be found for his mother.