Randall Thomas T. C. Lewis, a 20-year-old from Seven Springs, North Carolina, was fatally shot in the head on December 23, 2013, at a Lenoir County residence. The Lenoir County Sheriff’s Office reports the shooting occurred during horseplay with a semi-automatic handgun. A friend, 19-year-old Michael Bradley Rouse, reportedly aimed the gun at Lewis, believed the safety was engaged, and pulled the trigger.

Rouse was arrested and charged with involuntary manslaughter in connection with Lewis’s death. He also faced charges for possession of a firearm by a felon and several drug-related offenses, including felony possession of marijuana, maintaining a dwelling for the use or sale of controlled substances, and misdemeanor possession of drug paraphernalia. Deputies executing a search warrant at Rouse’s residence recovered marijuana and drug paraphernalia.

Family members described both families as devastated; Rouse’s mother said she believed the shooting was accidental. The sheriff underscored that assumptions about a firearm’s safety mechanism can have tragic results. Does anyone have information about the events that night or knew Randall and can share details that might help clarify what happened?