In the early morning hours of a spring day in Wichita, Kansas, the life of 19-year-old Mekko Stumblingbear, a male of Native American heritage, was tragically cut short. On what should have been a regular workday, he walked the short distance from his home to his boss's house at 1823 W. McCormick, where he and his demolition crew often gathered before heading to their job at Cessna Aircraft.
However, on this particular Friday, April 22, 2016, there was no work, a message that had not reached Mekko.
Inside the living room of his boss's home, a sense of camaraderie turned deadly. Some of Mekko's coworkers were examining and handling what were described as airsoft-style firearms. Amidst this, a real handgun was picked up by a 22-year-old coworker, Jacob Pulliam. What happened next was a blur of recklessness that ended in a single, fatal gunshot wound to Mekko's face. The initial call to emergency services reported a suicide, a notion that was immediately rejected by Mekko's family due to their cultural beliefs. Authorities quickly determined that he had been killed by another person.
In the hours that followed the shooting, police began their investigation, questioning those who were present at the scene. The investigation led to the arrest of Jacob Pulliam later that same day. Pulliam initially claimed that Mekko had shot himself. However, he later admitted to pointing the gun at his friend and pulling the trigger, purportedly believing the weapon to be unloaded. This act was described by the presiding judge as "reckless beyond reckless."
Jacob Pulliam was charged with involuntary manslaughter and ultimately pleaded guilty. In August 2016, he was sentenced to serve three years and two months in prison. In exchange for his plea, prosecutors agreed to drop unrelated drug charges against him. The resolution of the legal case brought little comfort to the family of Mekko Stumblingbear, who was remembered as a kind and happy young man with a bright future. He had aspirations of joining the military and starting a family. His death was a profound loss to his family and the local Native American community, in which he had been active from a very young age.
