Wheeler, a 2011 Northeastern High School graduate and former multi-sport athlete, died Monday afternoon from injuries sustained when he was shot in the abdomen at a southeast Springfield house in what a 911 caller said was an accident.
The family said Wheeler lived about an hour after the shooting, and that CareFlight was on the way to the hospital when he died.
But the unanswered questions linger. No charges have been filed in the incident, according to the Springfield Police Division, and Police Chief Steve Moody has said it could take weeks for the officers investigating the incident to complete their work.
“It’s just such a mystery right now,” said Tim Reisinger, Wheeler’s stepfather and a weightlifting and assistant track and field coach at Northeastern. “No one is telling us what happened. Then you see on TV that police had to get a warrant to get into the house. It makes you wonder.”
The family said they have been told that both Wheeler and the other man, also in his 20s, had been drinking at the time of the shooting.
“In my heart of hearts, I feel it was two dumb kids playing with guns and drinking, and that it was just a terrible, terrible accident,” Tim Reisinger said. “There were no bad feelings between them, as far as we knew. There was never any indication that there was anything but friendship between them.”
Added Missy Reisinger: “We don’t want to comment until we find out what happened. We hope it was just a bad accident. Either way, he (the shooter) is going to have to live with this for the rest of his life.”
Wheeler and the other man worked together at Springfield’s Navistar International plant, and they had become friends in the last few months.
“He loved to work,” said Tim Reisinger. “My dad had his 80th birthday the other day, and Eric told him that he couldn’t wait to get back to work. He loved all his friends and co-workers at Navistar.”
In fact, Wheeler had a wealth of friends, many of them in the Northeastern community.
“Eric had a big heart,” said Missy Reisinger. “Eric was the type, no matter who you were, if someone was getting picked on, he was there to stop it. He was very protective of those he loved. He was my best friend.”
Tim Reisinger told a story of when Wheeler was in third grade and someone was bullying a classmate, Devon Kaffenbarger.
“Eric whipped the kid, got a three-day suspension, and him and Devon have been best friends ever since,” the stepfather said with a chuckle. “Him and Devon and Meghan Rucker were inseparable. They were known as “The Three Musketeers.’”
Besides being a football player, track and field athlete and powerlifter for the Jets, Wheeler was heavily involved in 4-H and served as a 4-H camp counselor.
“Those kids loved him, and were hooked to him everywhere he went,” said Megan Reisinger, Wheeler’s stepsister.
The family hopes something good can come out of this tragedy.
“Eric was an organ donor,” said Missy Reisinger. “If anything good can come out of this, I hope it would be that it would save some lives.”
The Reisingers said they have been buoyed during the last few days by community support.
“This small community, through the love and support and prayers and all the donations, has been unbelievable,” said Missy.
Still, the range of emotions that come with grief have been difficult.
“Eric never messed with guns,” said Missy Reisinger. “I woke up the next morning and I was actually mad at him: Why did he let himself get into this position?”
The family hopes that their loss will open eyes to the danger of having guns around.
“I just want people to realize how dangerous guns are,” said Megan Reisinger. “If we can take anything away from this, it’s that we have to use our heads and practice safety anytime we are around guns.”
Added Wheeler’s uncle, Brent Wheeler: “Mixing guns and alcohol is like drinking and driving.”
Wheeler’s funeral is today at 11 a.m. at Grace Missionary Baptist Church in Springfield, and the family said that they lean on their faith to get through this ordeal.
“I just think that God had plans for him, and he’s in a better place now,” said Missy Reisinger.
About the Author