Man says he was ‘fooling around’ when he shot childhood friend in the head in Oregon
.JPG "A 33-year-old man was sentenced to nearly seven years in prison on Dec. 10, 2021, in Portland on a second-degree manslaughter charge, prosecutors said. Tyler Wayne Pierce is accused of fatally shooting his childhood friend in the head.")
A 33-year-old man was sentenced to nearly seven years in prison after he fatally shot his childhood friend in the head, Oregon officials said.
Tyler Wayne Pierce was sentenced to 80 months in prison on Dec. 10 after pleading guilty to a second-degree manslaughter charge, Multnomah County District Attorney’s Office said in a news release.
An attorney for Pierce did not immediately respond to McClatchy News’ request for comment.
Pierce had been drinking with his close friend Justin Stewart in Portland in 2019 when he pulled out his gun, held it to his friend’s chin and fired the weapon, prosecutors said.
Steward fell to the ground and died from the bullet wound to his head, according to the news release.
Police responded to the scene around 2:30 a.m., prosecutors said at that time.
Pierce told officials he had been “fooling around” and that he didn’t know a bullet was in the chamber, The Oregonian and The Associated Press reported.
Prosecutors said Pierce bought the 9-millimeter semi-automatic handgun at a Bi-Mart one month before the shooting.
He told officials he kept bullets in the magazine but not in the chamber when he carried it. He didn’t have a concealed weapon permit, the news release says.
The two had been friends since Pierce was 15 and they both worked at the same company at the time of the shooting, officials said.
“Guns are not toys. The sheer presence of a gun increases the risk of fatality. That combined with lack of training, proper permits, and the consumption of alcohol is deadly. This preventable tragedy epitomizes the need for responsible gun ownership in our community,” Deputy District Attorney Kate Molina said in the release
Those close to Justin Stewart, who was 30 years old when he was killed, expressed their loss in statements read during Pierce’s sentencing.
“You were supposed to be his best man,” Stewart’s girlfriend said, according to the district attorney’s office release.
“My son didn’t deserve this … I am haunted by his death,” the victim’s father said during his statement.
This story was originally published December 13, 2021 at 1:04 PM with the headline "Man says he was ‘fooling around’ when he shot childhood friend in the head in Oregon."
