Grandfather Of Teenager Fatally Shot By Homeowner’s Son During Break-In Describes AR-15 As Making The Encounter ‘Unequal’

Note: This article revisits a story originally reported in March 2017.

For the first time, the grandfather of one of the three teenagers who were killed during a break-in on Monday has spoken publicly.

Leroy Schumacher, grandfather of 17-year-old Jacob Redfearn, believes that the deaths of Jacob and his friends were avoidable.

He commented, “What these three boys did was reckless. They were aware of the potential consequences, but they didn’t deserve to lose their lives.”

On Monday, Redfearn, 19-year-old Maxwell Cook, and 16-year-old Jake Woodruff were involved in a break-in at a home in Wagoner County, where they were shot by the homeowner’s son.

Schumacher remarked that his grandson, who was generally well-behaved, had no chance of defending himself.

“Brass knuckles against an AR-15—come on, who was truly in danger here?” he questioned.

After the shooting, Wagoner County deputies took 21-year-old Elizabeth Rodriguez, the suspected getaway driver, into custody. Schumacher believes Elizabeth orchestrated the crime, and it was later revealed that she had confessed to planning it.

The shooter faced no charges, as deputies concluded that he acted in self-defense.

“There must be limits to that law; he shot all three of them, and it wasn’t necessary,” Schumacher said.

While he supports the right to protect one’s home, Schumacher disagrees with the use of lethal force against intruders. He emphasized that the families of the deceased will endure long-lasting pain, acknowledging that the tragedy stemmed from the teens’ poor decisions.

Schumacher hopes the deaths of the three teenagers will serve as a cautionary tale.

“You can’t change what happened, but you can certainly learn from it, and maybe some young people will take this as a lesson,” he stated.
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Sources: KTUL