Deputies: GVSU student shot, killed through floor at house party
Deputies on Thursday identified him as Connor Lotterman, a 19-year-old from Tallmadge Township. He was a student studying at Grand Valley State University.
It happened just after 11 p.m. Friday at a residence in the area of 2nd Avenue near Lake Michigan Drive. Deputies say that a 20-year-old male was in an upstairs bedroom at the house. Lotterman was downstairs with others at the party.
1 hospitalized following Tallmadge Township shooting
The 20-year-old found a gun somewhere in the home, and shot multiple rounds through the floor, deputies say. They say those bullets traveled through the floor and one of them hit Lotterman in the head.
Lotterman was taken to the hospital. He later died.
The sheriff's office was notified that an autopsy was completed on May 14 and that the death was ruled as accidental. Alcohol is also believed to be a factor, deputies say.
All of the people in the residence at the time of the shooting knew each other, according to deputies.
Investigators are still working on gathering details and are working with Ottawa County Prosecutor's Office to review potential charges for the 20-year-old, whose name is not being released at this time.
Anyone with additional information is urged to the Ottawa County Sheriff's Office or Silent Observer at 1.877.88.SILENT (745368).
'The Grand Valley community is saddened by Connor's tragic death,' GVSU Dean of Students Aaron Haight said in a statement. 'On behalf of President Mantella, the Laker community extends our deepest sympathies to his family and friends. Students may utilize the Care referral process and the University Counseling Center for support and resources during this difficult time. Faculty and staff can access mental health services via the Employee Assistance Program.'
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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The suspect in a May shooting that resulted in the death of a 19-year-old GVSU student in Tallmadge Township has waived his preliminary examination. Westen Meulenberg, 20, has been bound over to Ottawa County's 20th Circuit Court with a jury trial scheduled for Aug. 20 under Judge Jon Hulsing. Meulenberg, of Jenison, is charged with discharging a firearm in a building causing death. His bond was set at $50,000 and he has since posted the 10% required for release. According to a release from the Ottawa County Sheriff's Office, deputies responded to a party May 9 and found Connor Lotterman, 19, suffering from a gunshot wound to the head. The teen was transported to a local hospital with critical injuries and died the following day. The manner of death was deemed accidental. According to OCSO, Meulenberg allegedly obtained a firearm in the residence and fired multiple rounds through the floor of an upstairs bedroom, where Lotterman was. The bullets, police said, penetrated the floor — and one struck Lotterman in the head. More: Police identify teen killed in Ottawa County shooting as 19-year-old GVSU student Detectives say alcohol is a suspected factor in the shooting. Discharging a firearm in a building is a felony offense and, when another individual has been killed, is punishable by life in prison or any term of years, according to state law. — Cassidey Kavathas is the politics and court reporter at The Holland Sentinel. Contact her at ckavathas@ Follow her on Twitter @cassideykava. This article originally appeared on The Holland Sentinel: Westen Meulenberg scheduled for trial in death of GVSU student
