HOLT, Fla. (WMBB) — Okaloosa County deputies said Thursday charged a Holt man with negligent manslaughter after he shot and killed another man.
The incident happened on Wilkerson Bluff Road shortly before 7:30 p.m. Wednesday night. Ronald Norris, 61, said he was alone in his home when he heard his front door open. He walked toward the door with a 12 gauge shotgun and found his wife inside.
“The two got into an argument and another man came in stating he was there for the woman’s safety,” deputies wrote in a news release. “Norris says the barrel of the gun was pointed at the pair and he cocked the hammer to intimidate them, telling them to get out.”
Norris said he had the gun pointed at the victim when the victim “grabbed the barrel and yanked it, causing the shotgun to discharge. The victim suffered a gunshot wound to the head.”
But a witness who saw the incident through a window told investigators that the gun was pointed at the victim’s head and when the victim attempted to push the barrel away there was a gunshot.
“Due to the shotgun placed in firing mode, loaded, and the Defendants’ finger placed on the trigger ready to fire, the shotgun was discharged,” investigators wrote. “This resulted in the Victim being shot in the head leading to the Victim’s death.”
