A Billings family is reeling after the shooting of their 19-year-old son.
Elder Tracy J Starr told Q2 News Friday that his son, 19-year-old Kane Streitz, is clinically brain dead after he was shot late Thursday afternoon on the Billings Rims.
Starr says doctors told him and his wife, Heather Starr, there’s nothing they could do.
"This freak of an accident of 2 curious young men cost one his life. The friend has to live with the tragic death of his friend and brother as well. Parents, please pay more attention to your kids and what they are doing at home when you're gone," Starr wrote in a Facebook post Friday.
Billings police are still investigating and say the shooting happened around 4:30 p.m. Thursday off Highway 3 near Southview Drive and the water tower.
Police say when they arrived on scene, they found a 19-year-old man unconscious, with a life-threatening gunshot wound.
Authorities say they detained a 19-year-old man for questioning at the scene, but he has since been released. And they are not seeking any other parties involved.
Starr said he recently buried his niece, who died at the hands of another, and now the family is dealing with this.
“Please secure your weapons, guns aren’t toys. Make sure that safety is your priority for your families, as well as the guest in your homes. This tragic accident has changed our lives forever, we don’t hold anything against the friend, we can’t imagine what he is going through at this time. I don’t care how bored you are, keep your hands off guns," Starr wrote on Facebook.
There is a flashlight vigil in memory of Streitz set for 7 p.m. next Tuesday on the Billings Rims. Starr says it will be in the area where his son was shot. The hope is to continue to spread the message about gun safety.
