Article content

BERLIN — The father of a 17-year-old German exchange student shot dead in Montana criticized the gun culture in the U.S. Thursday.

“America cannot continue to play cowboy,” Celal Dede told the German news agency dpa after arriving in the U.S. to arrange the transport of his son Diren’s body back to Germany.

We apologize, but this video has failed to load.

tap here to see other videos from our team. Try refreshing your browser, or 'America cannot continue to play cowboy’: Father of German teen killed for trespassing slams U.S. gun culture Back to video

Dede said he had never imagined his son could be shot for simply entering somebody’s property.

We apologize, but this video has failed to load.

tap here to see other videos from our team. Try refreshing your browser, or

“I didn’t think for one night that everyone here can kill somebody just because that person entered his backyard,” Dede said.

The 46-year-old father said he wouldn’t have allowed his son to participate in the exchange if he had known.

Dede said he hoped the man would receive a fair punishment.

Markus Kaarma, a homeowner in Missoula, Montana, on Sunday fired four blasts from a shotgun into his garage, killing Diren Dede who was inside. He faces a charge of deliberate homicide.

It’s not clear what the teen was doing in the garage. Prosecutors allege Kaarma shot into his garage without warning after Dede tripped sensors.