Sunday evening vigil held for Slinger shooting victim, Bo Morrison



WEST BEND -- A vigil was held Sunday, March 25th for Bo Morrison, the 20-year-old man who was shot and killed by a homeowner in Slinger as he was allegedly hiding from police after leaving an underage drinking party in the neighborhood.

The Washington County District Attorney recently announced that no charges will be filed against the homeowner in the shooting of Morrison in Slinger on March 3rd.

The District Attorney’s Office says their investigation determined that the homeowner who shot Morrison acted lawfully in self-defense, through the recently-enacted Castle Doctrine law.

The report says the homeowner “acted reasonably in his use of force, based on the facts and circumstances of which he was aware when he encountered an unknown intruder in his residence at 2:00 a.m. March 3rd.” The report says the requirements of the recently passed Castle Doctrine were met in this case based on factors including: time of day of the shooting, location of the shooting, small size of the room where the shooting took place, lighting conditions of the room (dark), dark clothing Morrison was wearing, the fact that the homeowner’s wife and three young children were in the home at the time, etc.

Those organizing Sunday's vigil say the Castle Doctrine is "absurd" and encouraged those attendees to create "tasteful signs," with phrases like "Justice for Bo." Those in attendance say they are not happy the homeowner will not face charges.

"I think a lot of people felt sick about the whole situation - just upset, and that's why we did this. We understand that the DA isn't going to overturn their decision just cause we stand out here, but at the very least, we'd like to change the law or get it repealed entirely," Morrison's friend Carissa Bartelt said.