Stepfather charged with 2nd-degree felony manslaughter for role in stepson’s fatal shooting
Jun 26, 2025, 3:47 PM | Updated: 4:11 pm
18-year-old Haven McBride is pictured. After an 18-year-old was killed in a Riverton home, it was initially reported as an accident. Police said the next day it may not have been. (Photo courtesy: McBride family)
(Photo courtesy: McBride family)
RIVERTON — The Salt Lake County District Attorney has charged Joseph Le Page Lee with second-degree felony manslaughter for what the DA called Lee’s alleged role in the death of his teenage stepson.
Lee, 46, is also charged with four counts of class A misdemeanor reckless endangerment according to officials.
Details of the Riverton shooting
On June 17, Lee told the police who’d been called to his home that he had accidentally shot his teenage stepson. Officers said they saw the teen, identified by family members as Haven McBride, lying on the floor with a gunshot wound to the head when they arrived.
According to the DA, the suspect told Riverton police he’d just returned from buying firearm-related items and was explaining aspects of shooting a Glock 19x to his stepdaughter when he “accidentally” fired.
According to Salt Lake County officials, Lee told police he did not believe the magazine was in the gun that was fired.
Surveillance video of the shooting
Surveillance video later obtained by Riverton Police reportedly showed the suspect kneeling next to the teen’s body and “giving him a blessing,” the DA’s office said.
According to police, the video also showed Lee having a conversation with his stepdaughter who told Lee that 911 operators wanted him to perform CPR. Lee did perform CPR on the victim, police said, until help arrived.
“Owning a gun is a right in our country,” said Salt Lake County District Attorney Sim Gill in a statement. “However, that right does not absolve all of us from the responsibility in the way we handle such weapons. If you are a gun owner, please follow proper protocol when using them, especially when others are around.”
This story is breaking and will be updated.
