Florida deputy playing video games shoots and kills colleague (includes video story)

Twenty-three-year-old Brevard County deputy Austin Walsh was accidentally shot and killed by his roommate and fellow deputy on Saturday.

Now, Andrew Lawson has been charged with manslaughter.

The roommates were off duty and playing video games at their Palm Bay home. Lawson was handling what he thought was an unloaded gun. He pointed it at Walsh and pulled the trigger, but no shot was fired. Then Lawson did the same thing, but the weapon a shot hit Walsh in the head.

Lawson has been cooperating with law enforcement since the incident. He turned himself in on Sunday. An official affidavit states he was “playing with a firearm causing a single shot to be fired causing the death of Walsh.”

If convicted of manslaughter, Lawson could spend up to 15 years in prison.

Amanda Milian is a senior at Florida International University majoring in Digital Broadcasting. She enjoys educating the future broadcasters of America, watching college football and baseball and expanding her knowledge in the realm of communications and broadcasting. Amanda hopes to someday be an anchor on Good Morning America and looks forward to the path ahead of her in broadcast journalism.