North Platte, Nebraska

From the North Platte Bulletin of April 8, 2006

No charges filed on student accused of shooting his father

Ray Keefer, 17, a high-school student who shot his father in the leg early March 25, appeared in court March 29. No criminal charges were filed against him.

Lincoln County Attorney Jeff Meyer said March 28 that no charges against the boy are planned, although he is still investigating the incident.

Keefer was arrested for first-degree assault and use of a deadly weapon to commit a felony March 25 after he allegedly shot his father Thomas Keefer in the left leg with a .38-caliber handgun.

The bullet splintered Tom Keffer's bone and stayed lodged in his leg.

Tom Keefer, 42, was treated at the hospital and released. He was charged March 27 with felony child abuse, use of a weapon to commit a felony, domestic assault and terroristic threats.

Tom Keefer appeared in court March 27 on crutches and asked for a “reasonable” bond. “I still have a bullet in my leg that needs to be removed,” he said.

Lincoln County Judge Kent Florom set Tom Keefer’s bond at $25,000 and ordered him to have no contact with his son Ray or wife Lori Keefer.
…

Lincoln County sheriff’s deputies were called to the Keefer home at 243 S. Maloney Drive at about 2:30 a.m. March 25. Shortly after arriving, they heard a gunshot from inside the house.

Ray Keefer exited the home and told deputies that he had shot his father in the leg.

Deputies entered the home and found Tom Keefer bleeding on the living room floor.

The affidavit said Ray told deputies that his mother and father had been fighting after Lori and Ray arrived home about 2 a.m. Tom threatened both Ray and Lori with the unloaded pistol, then loaded it and fired it once into the ceiling of the home.

The affidavit said Tom then put the loaded gun to Ray’s head and told him to leave the residence.

A struggle ensued and Ray recovered the gun from his father, the affidavit said. Ray then went to his room but Tom followed him and attempted to get the gun back, according to the affidavit.

Unsuccessful at retrieving the gun, Tom then went into the living room and began assaulting Lori, so Ray said he went back into the living room carrying the gun. When Tom saw Ray there, according to the affidavit, he became angry with his son and lunged at him. That’s when Ray fired the gun, striking his father in the left leg.

Deputies said Lori Keefer was intoxicated and said she was not present when her son shot her husband. No charges have been filed against her.

From the North Platte Bulletin of March 20, 2007

Keefer guilty of threats, child abuse

Tom Keefer, the North Platte man shot in the leg a year ago by his teenage son after a violent fight with his was found guilty of terroristic threats and child abuse in Lincoln County Court Monday.

Keefer, 43, 243 South Maloney Drive, pleaded no contest and was found guilty of the amended charges. Charges of use of a weapon to commit a felony and domestic assault were dismissed in exchange for the plea in a plea agreement with prosecutors.

Keefer faces a maximum of five years imprisonment, a $10,000 fine or both for the felony terroristic threat charges. He also faces one year imprisonment, a $1,000 fine or both for the misdemeanor child abuse charge. He will be sentenced April 30.

Keefer was charged with the crime after Lincoln County Sheriff Deputies were called to their home March 25, 2006.

Deputies said Keefer’s son Ray told them that he had returned to his home early that morning with his mom and two friends. Ray and his friends were playing video games when Ray heard his mom and dad arguing, deputies said.

Ray told the deputies he separated his parents by pulling his dad off of his mom.

Keefer then ordered Ray to send his friends home, which he did, deputies said. While Ray was walking his friends outside, he heard the argument again and ran back inside.

Deputies said Ray told him Keefer had pinned his wife, Lorie, to the couch and that Tom had a handgun in his hand, pointing it at her head.

Ray told the deputies he jumped on his dad’s back to wrestle it away and Keefer told Ray the gun wasn’t loaded.

Ray told the deputies that as he sat by his mom on the couch, Keefer left the room then came back in saying, “now it’s loaded.” He then fired a round into the ceiling.

Ray and Keefer began to fight and struggle and the gun fired a second time, this time into the floor, deputies said.

Ray said he then grabbed the gun from his father, who repeatedly asked him to give it back. When Ray refused, according to deputies, Keefer walked toward his son saying, “shoot me, shoot me. Or give the gun back so I can shoot myself.”

Ray told deputies that his father continued to advance on him so he shot him in the leg.

Ray, then 17, was originally arrested for assault but felony charges against him were never filed because prosecutors decided his shot his father in self defense.

P. Stephen Potter, Keefer’s attorney, said he intended to offer a different version of events at sentencing but advised Keefer to plea no contest to take advantage of the plea agreement. He said Keefer had successfully completed treatment.