Judge Defends How South Haven Pier Shooter's Earlier Case Was Handled
SOUTH HAVEN, Mich. (AP) — A judge in southwestern Michigan is defending the work of a fellow judge after a young man with a juvenile criminal record randomly shot two people on a Lake Michigan pier.
Aidan Ingalls, 19, was recently released from court supervision, three years after he was accused of plotting an attack at Paw Paw High School. He was 15 at the time.
Ingalls last week shot and killed Chuck Skuza, 73, and critically injured his wife, Barb Skuza, 72, at the South Haven beach pier, police said. He then killed himself.
Critics, including the Paw Paw police chief, said Van Buren County Judge Jeffrey Dufon mishandled Ingalls' earlier case by not treating him as an adult, a status that might have kept him in custody and under court supervision for a longer period.
But Chief Judge Kathleen Brickley defended Dufon, MLive.com reported.
"In this case, after much deliberation, there was agreement by the elected prosecutor at the time that the chosen path forward was the right one, and there was no appeal of the court's decision," Brickley said.
"Today, we all mourn a tragedy, offer our condolences to the affected families, and should come together as a community to make sure that we all support and help those in need," she said.
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