A 17-year-old Texas teenager, Rhyder Tettleton, was charged with manslaughter following the fatal shooting of his 16-year-old brother. Court documents reveal that Tettleton allegedly asked his friends to help cover up the crime.
Tettleton appeared in court on November 27, where he was formally charged. Authorities initially considered a murder charge but downgraded it after determining Tettleton’s actions were reckless rather than intentional. He now faces a potential sentence of two to 20 years in prison.
Tettleton is being held in Harris County Jail on a $50,000 bond. The shooting occurred in a barn in Tomball, Texas, about 40 miles from Houston, in the early hours of November 26.
According to court records, six teenage boys were in the barn at the time, drinking alcohol. The parents of Tettleton and his late brother were at a nearby hospital, where their mother was preparing for back surgery. The teens were handling a 9mm handgun when the incident occurred.
Tettleton, who reportedly believed the gun was unloaded, aimed it at his brother, thinking he was “dry-firing” it. However, the gun was loaded, and the younger boy was shot in the abdomen.
One of the witnesses said the victim, after being shot, said, “I think I’m gonna die. Help me. Help me.” The four other boys at the scene immediately called the police and attempted to save the victim, but he was pronounced dead at the scene.
During Tettleton’s court appearance, it was revealed that he allegedly tried to cover up the shooting, asking the other boys to lie and say one of them was responsible for the shooting.
He also reportedly asked them to hide the gun. When questioned by authorities with his attorney present, Tettleton initially claimed he could not remember the events but later admitted to firing the gun, stating it was not his intention to harm his brother.
Tettleton has been ordered not to communicate with the other four boys who were present during the incident.