The man he allegedly pointed the gun at died. Police are charging him with manslaughter, citing negligence.
NASSAU COUNTY, FLORIDA, Fla. — A Jacksonville man is accused of shooting his friend during an incident in Yulee, according to the Nassau County Sheriff’s Office.
Tyler Shepperd, 26, is charged with manslaughter after police said he negligently handled a gun, resulting in the fatal shooting of his friend, Thomas Skipper.
On Jan. 13, Shepperd called 911 and reported he had shot his friend.
NCSO and Nassau County Fire Rescue responded to the scene in the 85000 block of St. John Court in Yulee. First responders attempted life-saving measures on Skipper and he was taken to the hospital by ambulance, but he did not survive.
A witness told police that Skipper was carelessly handling a handgun, according to police records. Shepherd also told police that Skipper was mishandling the gun and had “dry fired” it before handing it to him.
Shepherd said that when he retrieved the gun, he pointed it at Skipper. While he said he did not believe the gun was loaded, he did tell police he “intentionally” pulled the trigger.
Shepherd’s arrest report says that Skipper’s death was caused by Shepherd’s negligence in handling the gun.
