PANAMA CITY — A gun that discharged and killed a father the day he brought home his newborn child will undergo further inspection for defects as the accused shooter’s day in court approaches, attorneys agreed during a pretrial hearing Monday.
However, the manslaughter charge against 63-year-old Charles Edward Shisler will not be the subject of his first trial.
Shisler was arrested on several charges after a single round from a 9mm Luger traveled more than 200 feet into the home of his 33-year-old neighbor, Steven Justin Ayers. The stray bullet struck Ayers in the back of the head on June 17 and killed him instantly. Shisler allegedly admitted he accidentally fired the gun, but only the charge of felon in possession of a firearm will head to trial as the weapon is inspected by an independent expert for defects.
That trial has been scheduled for February. A date has not been set for the manslaughter case. The Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) previously has test fired the pistol for functionality. Results came back positive, FDLE reported, meaning the gun operated correctly.
After being arrested, Shisler told officers the shooting was accidental, according to the Bay County Sheriff’s Office arrest affidavit.
“The damn gun doesn’t usually shoot,” Shisler’s arrest report quoted him as saying. “You have to squeeze the hell out of the trigger to shoot it.”
Shisler told deputies he tried to pick up the gun by its trigger when it fired a hole through his window screen. According to the FDLE report, about 5 lbs. of pressure was needed to set the bullet in motion toward the Ayers’ residence next door.
Ayers and his wife had gathered family members to celebrate the homecoming of their 3-day-old baby — born on Father’s Day. But the celebration at 2502 Michigan Court ended shortly after 6 p.m. when the stray bullet entered the home from more than 200 feet away.
The bullet traveled out of Shisler’s window screen, through about 60 feet of medium-density woods, through the Ayers’ back porch glass door and into their home before striking Ayers in the back of the head.
Shisler was arrested, and a blood test taken more than four hours after the incident indicated Shisler had a blood alcohol content of 0.079, BCSO reported. Shisler was initially uncooperative with deputies and “extremely belligerent,” according to arrest reports.
Authorities filed additional charges of methamphetamine possession against Shisler the next day. BCSO allegedly found a glass pipe and “shake and bake” kit in Shisler’s residence. Both items tested positive for methamphetamine residue, authorities said.
Shisler’s attorney also has filed a motion, arguing officers did not have probable cause to initiate Shisler’s arrest.