Leroy Schumacher, the grandpa of a dead Oklahoma thief, chose to speak out following the death of his 17-year-old grandson. Jacob Redfearn, who had previously been in foster care, was one of three Oklahoma teenagers slain after they broke into a house and met the homeowner’s son, who was armed with an AR-15. And Leroy had a strong view about what happened that day.
Even though his grandson was in the middle of a burglary when he was slain, Leroy Schumacher believes his killing was unnecessary. The bereaved grandpa admitted that breaking into a house was “dumb,” but he said that the AR-15 gave the homeowner’s son a “unjustified” benefit over the three robbers, and that death was not the right punishment for the teenagers.
It all started with Elizabeth Rodriguez, 21, who officials think was the ringleader. Rodriguez, a mother-of-three in need of rent money, drove 19-year-old Maxwell Cook, 16-year-old Jake Woodruff, and 17-year-old Jacob Redfearn to the Wagoner County residence. They grabbed whiskey, speakers, and a machete from the garage at first, but then “became greedy,” according to Rodriguez.
After deciding to break into the main residence, the young men dressed entirely in black, wearing masks, and armed with brass knuckles and a knife walked inside while Rodriguez waited in the getaway car with a teenage female.
Zachary Peters, the homeowner’s 23-year-old son, was napping when he heard a door crash and glass break at 12:30 p.m. Peters took his dad’s weapon before confronting the three accused, who all froze when they spotted him.
Peters began firing, fearing for his life against the disguised attackers and feared they had a weapon. When questioned if the accused attempted to harm him, he stated that he never gave them the opportunity. He started with the accused closest to him and didn’t stop until the last accused escaped from the house. Peters claims he went to his bedroom, shut himself inside, and dialed 911 at that point.
Peters begged for medical assistance for the accused throughout the 911 call, but it was too late. When deputies from the Wagoner County Sheriff’s Office arrived, Peters put down his rifle and obeyed their directions. Even though Rodriguez subsequently acknowledged that one of the accused made it to the getaway car and slid across the hood, stating, “I got struck,” all three accused perished at the site. Rodriguez, who was unharmed, fled.
Rodriguez eventually confessed her participation and told officers that she had planned the entire thing. She was detained and charged with first- and second-degree burglary, as well as three charges of first-degree murder, because Oklahoma state law states that murder can be prosecuted if another person kills a human being while committing a felony.
Rodriguez, for her part, faces life in prison or maybe the death sentence, but Leroy Schumacher appears to blame his grandson’s killing on the homeowner’s son and the AR-15. Schumacher admitted that what these three boys did was wrong. They knew they could be punished, but they did not deserve to die, he added. Brass knuckles vs an AR-15? Who was scared for their lives?
Authorities disagreed with Schumacher, and Zach Peters was not prosecuted with any offenses since police said he acted in self-defense. Schumacher, on the other hand, was not satisfied that the shooting was justifiable, and he maintained his judgment that the penalties did not suit the act. There’s got to be a limit to that rule, he continued, since he shot all three of them – there was no reason for it.
Despite his support for the Second Amendment right to have guns, Schumacher opposes shooting house intruders. These guys’ families will endure for the rest of their lives as a result of this. This is something they’ll have to live with for the rest of their lives, he added. One can’t undo history, however one can learn from it, and perhaps some children will learn from this.
That is something we can all agree on: others should learn from this, particularly youths who may succumb to social pressure. If you choose to commit a crime, despite your age, the law is not on your side. Criminals are rarely given the benefit of the doubt when they break into someone’s home. In many places, the homeowner has the right to defend themselves.
States that have “stand your ground” or “castle doctrine” laws offer the intended victim the freedom to use reasonable force, even lethal force, to defend oneself, with no responsibility to flee from an intruder or assailant. The decision is obviously not without repercussions. While the families of the youngsters must deal with their deaths, so must the individual who killed them. Even if it’s warranted, that cannot be simple.
