WINTER HAVEN, Fla. — A man was arrested after officers said a gun he was holding went off and fatally shot another man on Tuesday.
The Winter Haven Police Department said they received a 911 call around 3:20 p.m. about the shooting, which occurred at a home at 218 Avenue F SE.
When officers arrived, they found the victim and immediately began life-saving measures until emergency medical personnel arrived. The victim was taken to the hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
Officers began investigating the area after the suspect, 20-year-old Valan Michael Ray Tyner, said he thought "maybe the shot came from outside." Tyner lived at the home where the shooting occurred.
But the investigation revealed there were no signs of a "projectile" entering the home from outside. Officers then obtained a search warrant.
Police interviewed the other four occupants who were inside the home during the incident separately. All four said they were either on the phone or asleep in another room when they heard a "loud pop," followed by seeing Tyner carrying the victim out of a bedroom and into the living room.
Investigators said they then discovered evidence of the victim being shot inside the bedroom with a gun that was found on the bed with one spent shell casing.
During an interview, Tyner allegedly claimed he was cleaning the gun, and it "went off," but police said they didn't find any cleaning supplies inside the room.
Tyner was arrested and charged with one count of manslaughter with a weapon. He was booked into the Polk County Jail.
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