LAKELAND, Fla. — A 19-year-old man has been charged with manslaughter after deputies say he accidentally shot and killed his half-brother.
The Polk County Sheriff's Office was dispatched around 8:12 p.m. Wednesday to the area of Eaton Park near Maine Avenue and Reynolds Road in Lakeland.
Investigators say Tyler Nichols and his half-brother were "horse-playing" after eating dinner when Nichols jokingly picked up a handgun that he thought was unloaded, pointed it at his half-brother and pulled the trigger. The half-brother was shot once in the chest, authorities said, and died less than an hour later at Lakeland Regional Health.
Family members told law enforcement the brothers were very close and had not been arguing. The half-brother's name was not released.
"This is a horrible, terrible tragedy," Sheriff Grady Judd said. "Even if you think that the gun is unloaded, never point one at another person in jest. Tragic consequences can result."
Nichols was arrested and taken to the Polk County Jail, where he was charged with manslaughter, possession of marijuana, possession of drug paraphernalia and violation of pretrial release. Deputies say he had been on pretrial release for shooting into a house in October 2019.
"The conditions of his release prohibited him from possessing any firearms," the sheriff's office said.
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