According to Click Orlando
A man playing with a gun that he thought wasn’t loaded killed his half-brother when he pointed the firearm at the victim’s chest and pulled the trigger, according to the Polk County Sheriff’s Office.
Deputies responded to an accidental shooting in the Eaton Park area of Lakeland Wednesday around 8:12 p.m.
A preliminary investigation determined that the 21-year-old man was shot once in the chest by his half-brother, 19-year-old Tyler Nichols.
According to deputies, the 21-year-old died less than an hour later at a hospital.
Two other family members were in the house at the time, one of whom witnessed the shooting, a news release said.
According to officials, Nichols and his brother were horse-playing after eating dinner and were preparing to go to the store together to purchase blunt cigar wrappers that they could use to smoke marijuana.
“Nichols jokingly picked up a handgun, which he believed was unloaded, pointed it at his brother, and pulled the trigger,” deputies said.