A 17-year-old male has been charged in the shooting death of an Ellsworth Middle School eighth grader.

Riley James Lacroix, Bay City, was ordered to pay $5,000 cash bond Nov. 7 in Pierce County Circuit Court on a felony homicide by negligent handling of dangerous weapon/explosive. At a Nov. 9 arraignment hearing, Lacroix pleaded not guilty to the charge. If convicted, he faces up to 10 years in prison and/or fines up to $25,000.

According to the complaint:

Pierce County deputies responded at 2 a.m. to a Bay City residence where a juvenile had been shot in the head. Life Link Air III flew Joshua Johnson, Bay City, to Gillette Children’s Hospital in St. Paul. Lacroix, identified as the suspect, had fled the scene and returned to his residence on County Road EE.

Police learned that Johnson’s parents and one brother were asleep upstairs when the shooting occurred. They had no idea a gun had been brought into their home and advised that Lacroix visited their son occasionally. Another brother was playing video games in his room, which is in the opposite corner of the basement from where the shooting occurred. When he heard yelling, he went to the other room and found his brother bleeding from his head.

A friend of Johnson’s, who was also over at the time, had run upstairs to fetch Johnson’s parents. He told police that Lacroix, he and Johnson were hanging out in the basement together, goofing around and wrestling. Lacroix had brought a pistol with him and was showing it off. After the wrestling match, the friend and Johnson laid down on a bed to play on their phones. Lacroix told them he was going to leave, but shortly after, the friend heard a loud bang and Lacroix asked Johnson if he was okay. He rolled over and ran from the room to get Johnson’s parents, at which point Lacroix fled the scene. 

After police couldn’t find the spent shell casing, they responded to Lacroix’s residence in Isabelle township. Lacroix’s family had no idea he had left the house earlier in the evening. Lacroix told the police the shooting was accidental; officers found the gun underneath his bed.

Lacroix said he went to the Johnsons around 10:30-11 p.m. to hang out. He sneaked out of his bedroom window with anyone knowing. Lacroix said he and the friend decided to take a walk down to the village park by Lake Pepin. While they were walking back, the friend allegedly pulled out a knife and said he’d seen coyotes in the area. They decided at that point to go to Lacroix’s to get a gun Lacroix had taken from his grandfather and hidden in his room.

After retrieving the gun, they walked back to Johnsons. After the wrestling match while Johnson and the friend were on their phones, Lacroix said he picked up the gun and started playing with it, pretending to shoot at the wall behind the bed. He said each time he moved the gun lower and lower while saying “pew, pew, pew.” The gun went off when it was pointed toward Johnson’s head. Lacroix said he ran home because he was scared. He hid the Smith and Wesson .22 LR semi-automatic handgun under his bed.

Johnson died from his injuries on Monday, Nov. 6.

Lacroix is scheduled to appear for a status conference at 10:45 a.m. Dec. 19.