Tyler Michael Seaney was 19 when he was killed on February 19, 2011, in a farmhouse apartment in Knox, Maine. Tyler had recently enlisted in the U.S. Army and was preparing to leave for boot camp. That night he was with a friend, Luke Bryant, and the two had reportedly played a recurring scare game that involved pointing and dry-firing guns at one another.

As Tyler exited a bathroom, Bryant stood in the kitchen holding a 12-gauge shotgun pointed at the door. Bryant later told authorities he meant only to frighten Tyler and thought the gun was unloaded; the weapon was loaded and a blast struck Tyler in the neck, killing him at the scene. Bryant called 911 at 6:53 p.m. and was found attempting CPR. His account to detectives shifted during the investigation, and he said his finger somehow entered the trigger guard. He was arrested and charged with manslaughter.

In August 2012 a jury convicted Bryant of manslaughter, and in October 2012 he was sentenced to 15 years with nine years to serve and four years of probation. Tyler’s family described him as someone who could make everyone around him smile. Did anyone who knew Tyler or who was in that community at the time notice the boys playing that sort of game?