A gun shop owner in South Carolina was arrested after police say he killed one of his employees by accidentally shooting him in the face during a “prank” gone wrong. Jon Whitley was taken into custody on Monday and formally charged with one count of involuntary manslaughter nearly a month after U.S. Army Special Forces veteran Stefan “Steve” Mrgan III, 36, was shot dead, the Charlotte Observer reported.
Deputies with the Berkeley County Sheriff’s Office on Nov. 2 responded to a call about a shooting at Coastal Firearms located in the 1100 block of Cainhoy Road in Charleston at approximately 5:30 p.m. Upon arriving at the scene, first responders reportedly found an unresponsive Mrgan in the store’s lobby. He had sustained an apparent gunshot wound to the “lower face,” according to an incident report.
The report continued by quoting Whitley as telling deputies that he accidentally shot Mrgan while attempting to pull a “prank” on the employee.
Charleston FOX affiliate WCSC-TV reported that in an interview with investigators, Whitley said he purchased a replica Glock BB gun. The defendant said he brought the BB gun to work and placed it among the store’s stock of real Glock 17 handguns. He reportedly said he did so “with the intent of pranking his friend, the victim,” per the report. But instead of picking up the replica pistol, Whitley accidentally grabbed a real Glock, pointed it at Mrgan, and pulled the trigger.
“The defendant’s actions, although accidental, were wanton,...
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