Charges were filed Tuesday in Monroe County Circuit Court in connection with the July 21 shooting death of Emma Schultheis, 14, of Prairie du Rocher.

Emma’s father, David A. Schultheis, 34, now faces one count of reckless discharge of a firearm for his involvement in the incident, which has been described as a “tragic loss.”

David was arrested on a Monroe County warrant Tuesday evening.

He was granted pre-trial release shortly thereafter at the courthouse and returned for a hearing on Thursday. Represented by attorney’s Scott Rosenblum and Timothy Hunsaker, Schultheis entered a plea of not guilty and was issued a preliminary hearing date of Oct. 16 before Judge Lucas Liefer.

The charge is a Class 4 felony, which is ineligible for pre-trial detention.

Court information alleges David “knowingly and unlawfully discharged a firearm in a reckless manner which endangered the bodily safety of an individual.”

In a Wednesday press release, the Monroe County Sheriff’s Department stated David “discharged a handgun in an attempt to shoot a buzzard that had entered a brick building. In doing so, (he) inserted only his arm into the room — keeping his head outside the doorway to avoid potential ricochet — before pulling the trigger. The round struck the bird, passed through it, exited the building through a window and ultimately struck and killed (Emma), who was outside.”

Monroe County Sheriff Neal Rohlfing had previously described the incident as a “freak accident.”

Also charged is Karen A. Schwarze, 58, of Valmeyer.

She was charged this week with one count of “concealment of a homicidal death,” a Class 3 felony, and obstruction of justice, a Class 4 felony. The press release states Schwarze is alleged to have “concealed physical evidence — a Taurus .40 caliber pistol — with the intent to prevent the apprehension or prosecution of David Schultheis.”

The obstruction charge stems from Schwarze allegedly attempting to “influence others not to speak with law enforcement officers during the early stages of the investigation.”

Schwarze is planning a voluntary surrender to the MCSD “in the near future,” the release stated.

“There are no words that can adequately express the heartbreak and gravity of this tragic event. The death of a child under any circumstances is profoundly devastating,” the release concluded. “The Monroe County Sheriff’s Department remains steadfast in its commitment to conducting thorough, fact-based, and impartial investigations. Regardless of the emotional and procedural complexities, our mission is to deliver truth, accountability, and justice for the families involved and for the community we serve. While this incident may have been preventable, our obligation is not to dwell in speculation but to uncover and present the facts with integrity.”

Per details of the investigation, shortly after 1:30 p.m. July 21, local police joined Monroe County EMS in responding to Schwarze Trailer Repair, 5925 State Route 3 in Waterloo, for a medical emergency. 

Within minutes, Monroe County EMS and the first responding MCSD deputy arrived on scene and found Emma had suffered an apparent firearm injury.

Emergency personnel immediately began life-saving measures, including CPR. Emma was transported to a St. Louis-area hospital, where despite continued efforts, she was pronounced deceased.

The MCSD investigation that followed revealed Emma died as a result of a gunshot wound. A firearm was located and secured at the scene, police said. 

The Illinois State Police Crime Scene Unit also responded to assist with processing the scene of the shooting.

The incident occurred on the Monday of this year’s Monroe County Fair, of which Emma was a key participant. 

Emma was well-known in the fair community, regularly showing livestock in Monroe County and other area fairs. 

She was also a member of the Maeystown Clovers 4-H Club and Red Bud High School FFA as well as a star junior high school athlete for Prairie du Rocher School and member of the Route 3 Rebels 14U select softball team.

Emma received special recognition during the 4-H & FFA Market Animal Auction at the fair on July 24.

Illinois Department of Agriculture Director Jerry Costello II visited the fair to offer condolences to the Schultheis family and the community.

“We will work together to pull through it together, as an agricultural family, especially keeping an eye out for our youth,” he said before hugging some of Emma’s family members. 

At the start of that auction, two of Emma’s animals went to bid first, her steer purchased for $7,500 from George Weber Chevrolet and her hog purchased for $4,000 from Matthew Fricke of Warning Lights in Columbia.

Emma was again recognized during FFA Fun Night at the fair on July 27, which would have been her 15th birthday. 

Potential penalties for a reckless discharge of a firearm conviction in Illinois can include a prison term of 1-3 years and a fine of up to $25,000.

Read more in the Sept. 10 issue of the Republic-Times.

For earlier reporting on the incident, click here.