A summer afternoon near a brick outbuilding along State Route 3 south of Waterloo, Illinois, ended in tragedy when 14-year-old Emma Schultheis was struck by a single bullet. At about 1:34 p.m. on July 21, 2025, deputies and EMS were called to 5925 Route 3; CPR was performed and Emma was taken to a St. Louis-area hospital, where she was pronounced dead. The Monroe County Sheriff’s Department says the girl died of a gunshot wound and a firearm was recovered at the scene.

Investigators concluded the fatal shot came from inside the brick structure when Emma’s father, 34-year-old David A. Schultheis, reportedly extended his arm with a handgun through a doorway to shoot at a buzzard that had flown in. Authorities say the bullet passed through the bird, exited a window, and struck Emma, who was outside. The Illinois State Police Crime Scene Unit assisted as detectives reconstructed the trajectory.

The community mourned a well-known 4-H member and student-athlete from Prairie du Rocher; services were held at St. John UCC in Maeystown. Has anyone with knowledge of that fairground area or who was there that day come forward with information?