Steven Shiplet victim in accidental shooting
Steven Shiplet was a 17-year-old boy who died March 16 in a Tulsa hospital. He was the son of David and Marla Shiplet, 909 E. Melvin, Marion.
According to his mother, Steven was staying with relatives in Oklahoma when a tragic incident took place. He had a shotgun and was fooling around with friends, she said, when he playfully stuck the gun in his mouth and accidentally hit the safety button, allowing the gun to fire. The incident occurred March 15.
Steven went into a coma and was rushed to a Tulsa hospital, where he was placed on a breathing machine. He died the next day.
Marla said Steven ran away from a boys' camp at Goddard in January. She said he was sent there after he got into a fight with another boy. She said he was taken from their home when neither she nor her husband were home. They were notified by phone about what had taken place, she said.
Marla shared Steven's explanation for why he ran away from the boys' camp.
"He said they weren't teaching him anything," she said, "and some staff members told him to run away."
The grief-stricken mother said Steven was a good boy.
"He was very athletic and loved the Lord," she said, tearfully. "He loved life and loved his family."
She said 212 people attended Steven's funeral March 19 in Broken Arrow, Okla., and 285 people attended the burial service the next day in Marion Cemetery.
Steven has an older brother, Dustin, and a seven-year-old sister, Balee. Joy Wildin of Marion is his grandmother.
A Steven Shiplet memorial fund has been established at Marion National Bank. Contributions are being accepted to assist the family with expenses. The fund is administered by Valley United Methodist church Samaritan Fund.
