According to the Brevard County Sheriff, 23-year-old deputy Austin Walsh was killed Saturday by his own roommate, who is also a fellow deputy, in an accidental shooting. “This afternoon, I have to stand here and talk about the loss of one of my deputies who I love so much as the result of the reckless actions of another one of our deputies, who I also love,” Brevard County Sheriff Wayne Ivey said.In a video on Facebook, Ivey said Walsh and his roommate, Deputy Andrew Lawson, were at a home in Palm Bay early Saturday morning when the shooting occurred.”He and Austin had taken a break from playing an online game with a number of their friends and were just kind of standing around talking. Lawson was holding a handgun, which he believed he had unloaded, and at one point in their conversation, Lawson, thinking that the gun was unloaded, jokingly pointed the gun in Austin’s direction and pulled the trigger,” Ivey said. The Florida Department of Law Enforcement is investigating the incident and Monday released the arrest affidavit. The partially redacted document lays out what investigators said happened early Saturday between Walsh and Lawson, who is now charged with manslaughter.The two young deputies were off-duty and had been hanging out and playing an online video game called Call of Duty when they were kicked off due to inactivity.According to the affidavit, Lawson was handling what he thought was an unloaded Glock 34 semi-automatic pistol and then “pointed the firearm at Walsh and pulled the trigger. The firearm did not go off.”But that affidavit states Lawson kept going, believing that the gun was unloaded, “Lawson again pointed the firearm at Walsh and pulled the trigger for a second time.”The weapon fired one shot hitting Walsh in the head.Lawson immediately called 911 and cooperated with law enforcement on the scene. His charge was described in the affidavit as “playing with a firearm causing a single shot to be fired causing the death of Walsh.”Walsh was pronounced dead at the scene in Palm Bay. Lawson was waiting outside of the residence when Palm Bay police arrived.He turned himself into jail Sunday, and if convicted, a manslaughter charge in Florida can lead to up to 15 years in jail.”Austin and Andrew were the best of friends, and Andrew is completely devastated over what happened. Even with that, there is no excuse for this tragic and totally avoidable death,” Ivey said.The sheriff said Walsh had worked as a member of the Brevard County Sheriff’s Office since the age of 18, and before that, was part of its Explorers program.Ivey said his agency is in mourning. He also hopes a lesson is learned from this tragedy.”Folks, this unnecessary and totally avoidable incident not only took the life of an amazing young man and deputy, but it also forever changed the life of another good young man, who made an extremely poor and reckless decision,” Ivey said.
According to the Brevard County Sheriff, 23-year-old deputy Austin Walsh was killed Saturday by his own roommate, who is also a fellow deputy, in an accidental shooting.
“This afternoon, I have to stand here and talk about the loss of one of my deputies who I love so much as the result of the reckless actions of another one of our deputies, who I also love,” Brevard County Sheriff Wayne Ivey said.
In a video on Facebook, Ivey said Walsh and his roommate, Deputy Andrew Lawson, were at a home in Palm Bay early Saturday morning when the shooting occurred.
“He and Austin had taken a break from playing an online game with a number of their friends and were just kind of standing around talking. Lawson was holding a handgun, which he believed he had unloaded, and at one point in their conversation, Lawson, thinking that the gun was unloaded, jokingly pointed the gun in Austin’s direction and pulled the trigger,” Ivey said.
The Florida Department of Law Enforcement is investigating the incident and Monday released the arrest affidavit.
The partially redacted document lays out what investigators said happened early Saturday between Walsh and Lawson, who is now charged with manslaughter.
The two young deputies were off-duty and had been hanging out and playing an online video game called Call of Duty when they were kicked off due to inactivity.
According to the affidavit, Lawson was handling what he thought was an unloaded Glock 34 semi-automatic pistol and then “pointed the firearm at Walsh and pulled the trigger. The firearm did not go off.”
But that affidavit states Lawson kept going, believing that the gun was unloaded, “Lawson again pointed the firearm at Walsh and pulled the trigger for a second time.”
The weapon fired one shot hitting Walsh in the head.
Lawson immediately called 911 and cooperated with law enforcement on the scene.
His charge was described in the affidavit as “playing with a firearm causing a single shot to be fired causing the death of Walsh.”
Walsh was pronounced dead at the scene in Palm Bay. Lawson was waiting outside of the residence when Palm Bay police arrived.
He turned himself into jail Sunday, and if convicted, a manslaughter charge in Florida can lead to up to 15 years in jail.
“Austin and Andrew were the best of friends, and Andrew is completely devastated over what happened. Even with that, there is no excuse for this tragic and totally avoidable death,” Ivey said.
The sheriff said Walsh had worked as a member of the Brevard County Sheriff’s Office since the age of 18, and before that, was part of its Explorers program.
Ivey said his agency is in mourning. He also hopes a lesson is learned from this tragedy.
“Folks, this unnecessary and totally avoidable incident not only took the life of an amazing young man and deputy, but it also forever changed the life of another good young man, who made an extremely poor and reckless decision,” Ivey said.