It's a bizarre case out of the City of Shasta lake. A man is shot to death, but the person behind bars and facing charges is not the one who pulled the trigger.
Shooter fired off two shots in order to save his life, but the gunfire ended up killing an unintended target.
The scene that played out early Sunday morning in the City of Shasta Lake, started with a domestic dispute. Police say William Roy Thietje was in a rage over his girlfriend leaving him days before.
He and a group of friends came to the Ashby road address looking for Geraldine Walker. Witnesses say Thietje rammed the van into walker’s Cadillac several times. He almost hitting bystander Tim Bailey and a homeowner named mike.
Someone was about to get hurt and that's when Mike got a gun to protect himself.
Mike fired off two shells from his shotgun but he missed Thietje and instead struck 28-year-old Beau Halbert who was in the passenger’s seat.
Halbert died from his injuries, but the Sheriff's Office and the District Attorney's Office agree that the shooter will not face charges. Instead, the driver of the van, William Thietje is charged with involuntary manslaughter, because he instigated the shooting.
This is not Thietje’s first offense, court records suggest the 28-year old has a history of drug abuse and domestic violence. At the time of Sunday's incident, he was out on bail.
The shooter, "Mike," asked that we not show his picture or say his last name because he fears retaliation for the killing. But he added that he felt bad about the death.
