Morrisville man charged in shooting death of Polk County juvenile

UPDATE 7/29/2024 — A Morrisville man has been arrested and charged in connection with a shooting on July 27.

Online court documents show Corey Keith Nielsen has been charged with second-degree murder, armed criminal action and unlawful use of a weapon.

A probable cause statement from the Missouri State Highway Patrol (MSHP) says troopers arrived at a Morrisville residence at around 12:30 a.m.

Deputies with the Polk County Sheriff’s Office (PCSO) had determined that the victim was driving a pickup truck with nine others in the cab and bed of the truck, documents say, when one of the riders in the bed lit a firework and threw it into the residence’s yard.

MSHP says Nielsen, a resident, immediately responded by firing multiple rounds from a semi-automatic rifle in the direction of the truck. The vehicle briefly stopped before fleeing a short distance down the road.

According to documents, Nielsen told troopers the property belonged to his deceased grandparents, and that he, along with his wife and four children, had been staying in a tent on the property while renovations were made to the main house.

Nielsen also said someone had discharged fireworks toward the property and/or their tent on two prior occasions. As a result, he said he had prepared an area behind a trailer near the road that was loaded with a truck and placed boards around it to provide additional concealment.

The probable cause statement says Nielsen also said he would “patrol” around the property and lie between the truck and trailer and wait for any potential problems.

Nielsen is currently being held in the Polk County Jail.

Original story:

POLK COUNTY, Mo. — A juvenile was killed in a shooting overnight in Polk County on Saturday, July 27, according to the Missouri State Highway Patrol.

MSHP Public Information Officer Mike McClure says the shooting happened in the Morrisville area at around 12:20 a.m. and resulted in the death of a juvenile. One subject was arrested in relation to the shooting and McClure says there is no threat to the community.

MSHP is assisting the Polk County Sheriff’s Office in an investigation into the shooting. No names have been released as of now.

More details will be revealed in the coming days when they become available.

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