Editing Exercise 2: Murder Charges

Charges of murder without malice were filed Tuesday (today) against an eighteen-year old Middle Brook high School student for the shooting death Monday of his girlfriend as they sat talking in his car. He was charged with shooting her to death.

Bond for William J. Balk a senior at Middle Brook high School was set at one-hundred thousand dollars. Balk was in jail today in leiu of bond.

Elena Rodriguez also a senior died at 2:00 p.m. Monday of a gunshot wound to the head as she was being taken en route to Memorial Hospital.

The shooting was first characterized and described as accidental by Myerland Police Detective, Matthew Atkins, but witnesses later contradicted that account of the shooting.

“Then the next thing I knew, the gun went off, Elena was crumpled over on the seat,” Balk said.

Balk and Rodriguez were talking in an office parking lot near the school and a .22 caliber handgun was laying on the car seat, Balk told investigators. Rodriguez allegedly asked to see the pistol and Balk picked it up and handed it to her.

Three witnesses - a women and two men, all Middle Brook High School students - told a different story. They were standing near the car when the weapon discharged.

Bill was playing with the gun in the car, said junior Eric Malone. He kept taking the clip out and then putting it back in. Whenever the clip was out, he would pull the trigger.”

Editing Exercise 6.2: Murder Charges, continued

Rodriguez told Balk to stop playing with the weapon, junior Arica Johnson said, he didn’t stop. “Bill was holding the gun when it went off.”

The handgun is owned by Balk’s father, William Balk Sr., who are licensed to carry a concealed weapon Atkins said. “Mr. Balk told me he had no idea how the target pistol got into his sons’ car.”

Balk and his son would practice shooting the weapon once or twice a month at the Myerland Shooting Center on 2nd avenue, Matthews said. Both men were accomplished shots and each owned no less than four handguns.