Note: we are republishing this story, which originally made the news in March 2017.

The grandfather of one of the three teen suspects killed during a break-in on Monday has spoken out for the first time.

Leroy Schumacher, the grandfather of 17-year-old Jacob Redfearn, believes that the deaths of Jacob and his friends was not necessary.

He said: “What these three boys did was stupid. They knew they could be punished for it but they did not deserve to die.”

On Monday, Redfearn, 19-year-old Maxwell Cook, and 16-year-old Jake Woodruff broke into the Wagoner County home, where they were shot by the homeowner’s son.

Schumacher stated that his grandson, who never got into trouble, didn’t stand a chance.

Photo Credit: ABC News
“Brass knuckles against an AR-15, come on, who was afraid for their life,” he said.

Following the shooting, Wagoner County deputies arrested the alleged getaway driver, 21-year-old Elizabeth Rodriguez.

Schumacher said that he believed Elizabeth was the ringleader, and investigators revealed that she’d admitted to planning the crime.

The shooter was not charged with a crime, and deputies believe that he was acting in self-defense.