A Florida man has been arrested after he accidently shot his friend with a rifle.
The incident occurred Thursday night at the suspect’s home in Palm Harbor.
The Pinellas County Sheriff’s department reported that 26-year-old Shea Michael Harkins and the victim, 26-year-old Sean Cook, were playing video games in Harkins’ room when Harkins decided to pick up a Colt M4 rifle he had been customizing. Harkins’ believing the gun was not loaded, then aimed the rifle at Cook as a joke.
Cook then said “What are you going to do, shoot me?” and that’s when Harkins pulled the trigger.
Cook was struck in the chest with a bullet and taken to an area hospital where he was pronounced dead.
Harkins was arrested and taken to the Pinellas County Jail where he remains as of Friday morning. It is unclear if he has legal representation.