Police: Man booked in accidental shooting
Baton Rouge police on Tuesday arrested a 19-year-old man in an accidental shooting that killed a Denham Springs man earlier this month, authorities said.
Tyler Washington, 2750 Millerville Road, Baton Rouge, was booked into East Baton Rouge Parish Prison on one count of negligent homicide in the Jan. 20 shooting death of 18-year-old Trevon Wilson, said Lt. Don Kelly, a police spokesman.
The shooting happened after 2 a.m. at 2645 Main St., Baton Rouge, while a group of people were examining a rifle and it discharged, striking Wilson in the chest, police said. Wilson died at a hospital of a single gunshot wound.
Washington had been carelessly operating the loaded firearm seconds before it discharged, authorities said.
Allen Holland, who lives across the street from the house in which the shooting occurred, said the home has been vacant since its resident died about five months ago.
Kelly said police do not anticipate any other arrests at this time.
Wilson’s death was among four accidental shooting deaths recorded over the past month in the Baton Rouge area, all four of which have resulted in criminal charges.
On Sunday, a 16-year-old boy surrendered to authorities in the Saturday shooting death of 18-year-old Marcus Williams, whom police said was shot in the back while the two were playing with a gun. The shooting occurred as Williams was visiting a house at 1527 N. 24th St., Baton Rouge, police said.
“The shooting death of Marcus Williams was not believed to be intentional, thus the charge of negligent homicide.” Kelly said in an email.
On Jan. 21, police said, Terrance J. Varise, 18, was playing with a .357-caliber handgun that discharged as his 2-year-old brother, Travin Varise, walked into the room, striking the toddler in the chest. Varise, a convicted felon, was booked on counts of negligent homicide and felon in possession of a firearm.
Varise’s uncle has said Varise, 5108 Jean St., Baton Rouge, obtained the gun from a neighborhood friend.
On Dec. 29, deputies in Ascension Parish arrested a 14-year-old boy accused of accidentally shooting 13-year-old Christian Crain in the head while playing with a stolen .38 special revolver in the bedroom of a Prairieville trailer. The 14-year-old was booked on counts of negligent homicide, possession of a stolen firearm, possession of marijuana and possession of a handgun by a minor, authorities said.
In the most recent arrest, Kelly said, it took several days for authorities to arrest Washington, in part because several witnesses were present during the shooting. Some fled the scene, Kelly said, and all of them had to be located and interviewed.
“Some additional evidence also had to be processed to make a determination of who was responsible and whether foul play might be involved,” Kelly added in an email. “So this investigation took a little longer than those where everybody involved sticks around and there’s little doubt as to what happened.”