Man Charged In Santa Rosa Homicide; Trio Was Playing With Shotgun

One person has been arrested in connection with a homicide Monday night in Santa Rosa County.

James “Hunter” Gates, 20, was charged with homicide-negligent manslaughter, using a firearm under the influence of alcohol and possession of alcohol by a person under 21.

The Santa Rosa County Sheriff’s Office responded to a shooting incident about 10:15 p.m. Monday. Gates, a female and the victim were at Gate’s home on Keyser Lane in Pace. Gates and the victim were intoxicated when they began to play with a 12 gauge pump-action shotgun. Gates observed the victim load a shotgun shell into the chamber and then eject the shell.

“In a playing manner,” according to an arrest report, the victim held the muzzle end of the shotgun to his chin and waved the butt of the gun toward Gates and the female. The victim then said “something to the effect of ‘bet you won’t pull it’, which referred to pulling the trigger,” the report states. Gates took hold of the shotgun and pulled the trigger. The gun fired a shell, hitting the victim under the chin. He was pronounced deceased on the scene by a responding paramedic.

According to the Santa Rosa County Sheriff’s Office, Gates had previously loaded a shotgun shell into the gun’s chamber. When the victim loaded the gun, Gates forgot about the previous shell. When he saw the victim eject a shell, Gates thought the gun was empty, the report states.

The name of the victim has not yet been released pending notification of next of kin.