Sheriff: Man Says He Mistakenly Killed Friend on Gator Hunt

Sheriff: Man Says He Mistakenly Killed Friend on Gator Hunt
Stock photo of an alligator walking out of the alligator lagoon at Everglades Alligator Farm in Homestead, Florida, on June 24, 2016. (Rhona Wise/AFP/Getty Images)

ELLISVILLE, Miss.—A Mississippi man charged in a fatal shooting told deputies he was hunting alligators with a friend when his gun jammed and he accidentally shot the other man.

News outlets report 53-year-old Stephen McLaurin was arrested on charges including second-degree murder. He’s set to appear in court Tuesday afternoon.

A Monday statement by the Jones County Sheriff’s office says deputies responded Friday to report of a body near a bridge outside Ellisville. They determined the man’s death to be suspicious. Coroner Nancy Barnett identified the victim as 47-year-old Michael Tyson.

The victim’s car was spotted in Laurel city on Sunday and a pursuit ended with authorities arresting the driver, later identified as McLaurin. Deputies say McLaurin told authorities he panicked and fled after shooting his friend.

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