A Todd County grand jury will soon hear the case against the young man charged with second-degree manslaughter in connection with a New Year’s Eve morning fatal shooting in Guthrie.
The original arrest citation from Guthrie police says 18-year old William O’Bryan of Guthrie, 16-year old Xavion Bell of Guthrie and another juvenile were in the room at a home on Locust Street when O’Bryan allegedly pointed an AR-15 at Bell and pulled the trigger.
During a preliminary hearing Tuesday morning, Guthrie Police Sgt. Eric Pinkett testified O’Bryan told him in an interview after the shooting that he and Bell both had their hands on the weapon when it accidentally discharged.
An eyewitness to the incident gave a different account, saying the group had been consuming alcohol and marijuana and O’Bryan was demonstrating what he’d do if an intruder came into his home when he pulled the trigger on a gun he believed to be unloaded.
Police allege O’Bryan tampered with evidence when he removed the shell casing from the scene and initially placed a handgun near Bell to make it appear the gunshot was self-inflicted.
District Judge Ken Williams determined there was sufficient evidence to send the case to the Todd County grand jury for consideration of a potential indictment.