McKenna Grace Dutkiewicz, a 21-year-old female from Wayland, Michigan, died on June 1, 2020, in Kalamazoo. A graduate of Wayland Union High School in 2017, she was active in the orchestra, swim team, and track and field. She had attended Eastern Michigan University for two years and was planning to continue her education at Western Michigan University.
The incident occurred at an apartment on Jack Pine Way in Kalamazoo during a gathering.
John Jacob Spangenberg, then 23, was handling a 9mm handgun that he said he believed was unloaded. According to reports, Spangenberg had been 'playing with the gun' earlier and told authorities he had lost track of whether the magazine was in the weapon. He pulled the trigger, and the gun discharged, striking McKenna. She later died from her injuries.
John Jacob Spangenberg was arrested and initially charged with open murder. He admitted to pulling the trigger but maintained that the shooting was an accident. The Kalamazoo Department of Public Safety investigated the case.
Ultimately, in a decision that involved the input of McKenna's family, Spangenberg was sentenced in December 2020 to one year in jail, with credit for 194 days already served. The sentence also included four years of probation and 500 hours of community service, where he was ordered to speak to young people about the importance of responsible and safe gun ownership. McKenna's mother stated in court that forgiving the man who shot her daughter was a significant part of the sentencing agreement and that she believed it is what McKenna would have wanted.
