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Friendship man faces charges for shooting death of teen

A Friendship man appeared in court Friday, facing charges of murder and attempted murder following the shooting death of a 17-year-old boy Sunday.

Eric Whisman, 35, of Friendship, reportedly witnessed two young boys he said he believed were stealing a bale of hay from a nearby hunting lodge, and fired gunshots at them to scare them away.

During the incident, 17-year-old Nathaniel Kennedy, of Chillicothe, was shot and later died at St. Mary's Hospital in Huntington, W.Va.

Scioto County Sheriff Marty Donini said Kennedy and 18-year-old Jared Fyffe had been in Sinking Springs earlier that day, running their hunting dog.

They reportedly were told of a hunting lodge on Upper Twin Creek where they could do some target practice. The two drove to the lodge and found the club closed.

Then they noticed a bale of straw behind the building and decided to take it down the road to do some shooting in an old field, according to reports.

Immediately following the incident, Whisman put away his gun, called Scioto County 911 to report the shooting and then waited at his home until sheriff's deputies arrived to place him under arrest.

Whisman was seen in Judge Richard Schisler's courtroom of Portsmouth Municipal Court on Oct. 15, and was held over for preliminary hearing scheduled for Friday. He was being held on $20,000 bond for the charge of murder and $15,000 bond for the charge of attempted murder.

On Friday, Whisman waived his preliminary hearing in Schisler's courtroom, and now will be scheduled to appear in Scioto County Court of Common Pleas, according to Schisler's office.

His bond amount was continued, and Schisler's office said if he does pay the bond, he still is to be placed on house arrest.

RYAN SCOTT OTTNEY can be reached at (740) 353-3101, ext. 235, and by e-mail at pdt@ryanscottottney.com.