Michael Robert Erickson was 17 when he died from a contact shotgun wound to the head on September 18, 2020, at a friend’s home in rural Menahga, Minnesota. Emergency crews responded after a 911 call reporting a juvenile with a gunshot wound and found Michael deceased at the scene.

Investigators from the Becker County Sheriff’s Office and the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension determined the gun was discharged while placed against Michael’s skin. Court documents say 17-year-old Logan Daniel Keranen had taken a shotgun from a gun safe at his home to show friends; Michael was resting or sleeping in a bed when the weapon discharged. A third boy who was present testified that he saw Keranen appearing to freak out after the shot, and Keranen placed the shotgun back in the safe before calling 911.

Keranen was charged in Becker County Juvenile Court with third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter; following a trial the court found him not guilty. Does anyone have information about Michael’s time in Menahga or the people involved that could shed more light on that morning?