In the small city of Winona, Minnesota, a gathering of friends on November 11, 2016, took a tragic and irreversible turn, ending the life of 20-year-old Riley Holden Sass-Loken, a white male. The night was filled with the camaraderie of young adulthood, but the presence of alcohol and a firearm proved to be a fatal combination. At a party in a Winona apartment, what was intended as a playful moment between friends became a scene of horror. Lucas R.
Schultz, also 20 years old, pointed a gun at his friend Riley's face and, in a moment of intoxicated recklessness, pulled the trigger.
The single gunshot wound to the head left Riley critically injured. He was rushed to Gundersen Health System in La Crosse, Wisconsin, where he fought for his life for several days. Despite the efforts of medical professionals, Riley Holden Sass-Loken succumbed to his injuries. The community was left to grapple with the sudden and senseless loss of a young man known for his love of life, fishing, hunting, golfing, and especially hockey. A 2014 graduate of Winona Senior High School, where he had been a varsity hockey teammate with Schultz, Riley was pursuing a future in law enforcement, a dream that would tragically go unfulfilled.
In the aftermath of the shooting, Lucas R. Schultz was identified as the one who fired the weapon. An initial arrest was made, but he was released after questioning as the investigation unfolded. It was determined that the shooting was not intentional. Authorities found that Schultz's blood alcohol content was significantly over the legal limit for driving, and he was not yet of legal drinking age. This, combined with the accessibility of a firearm, was described by the County Attorney as "a recipe for tragedy."
Ultimately, Lucas R. Schultz was charged with second-degree manslaughter. The decision to file a manslaughter charge, rather than murder, was based on the evidence suggesting the shooting was a mistaken and unintentional act. Schultz was charged by summons and scheduled for a court appearance to answer for the death of his high school friend and teammate, a stark reminder of the devastating consequences that can arise from the mixture of alcohol and firearms.
