She was shot in the head. He was offered a plea deal.
Family angry after man gets plea deal for shooting girlfriend in head
A local family is voicing their concerns after learning a plea deal is on the table for a man accused of shooting his girlfriend in the head.
BURNETT COUNTY, Wis. (FOX 9) - A local family is voicing their concerns after learning a plea deal is on the table for a man accused of shooting his girlfriend in the head.
May 2024 Shooting
What happened:
After spending the day at home in West Marshland, Wisconsin, with his mom and her boyfriend, 15-year-old Donavin Czech was watching a movie downstairs when he heard a gunshot.
"Then I heard a fall, and I thought, 'Ok, that doesn't really sound right’, so I went upstairs...I saw my mom on the ground bleeding," said Czech.
Not knowing what would happen next, he immediately called 911 and ran outside.
Charged with 8 felonies
What we know:
Charges allege a day of heavy drinking and hallucinations led 30-year-old Michael Winquist to shoot his girlfriend in the head before turning the shotgun on himself.
Both survived the shooting, and Winquist was charged with eight felonies, including attempted first-degree murder.
Czech's mom, Kristina Fickbohm, is forever changed, left with seizures, vision, hearing and memory loss, and 12 shotgun pellets in her arm that can't be removed. In the month of April alone, she had more than 20 doctor's appointments.
Her family was furious to learn a plea deal is now on the table for Winquist.
Guilty plea offered
The other side:
The Burnett County District Attorney confirmed to FOX 9 all other charges would be dismissed if Winquist pleads guilty to one count of reckless endangering safety and one count for being a felon with a firearm.
The most time he could spend behind bars would be 12 and a half years; a punishment that does not fit the crime for a family that has been through such a traumatic ordeal.
"He's going to be there however long, and my mom is going to have this for the rest of (her) life, and it's just not right," said Czech.
What's next:
Another court hearing is set for Wednesday where the District Attorney will explain how and why this deal came to be. If the judge accepts it, a plea hearing will then be scheduled.