HERRIMAN — A West Jordan man has been charged with manslaughter in the fatal shooting of another man while he was allegedly "horseplaying."
Alexander Okustino Finau, 18, was charged Monday in 3rd District Court with the second-degree felony.
On June 20, Herriman police were called to the area of 13700 South and 6700 West on a report that a 22-year-old man had been shot. They arrived to find Bridjer Ehlers had been shot in the chest. Paramedics attempted lifesaving measures, but Ehlers was pronounced dead at the scene, according to charging documents.
When officers first arrived at the residence, they found Finau in the front yard crying and yelling, "I didn't mean to" and talking on the phone with his mother, telling her to "please pray for me, I didn't mean to do this," the charges state.
A police booking affidavit further states that Finau "spontaneously stated multiple times that the shooting was accidental. Through subsequent witness interviews, investigators learned there was no physical altercation, but some level of horseplay was occurring."
A witness told police that prior to the shooting, Ehlers and Finau were "pushing each other around, like, just as a joke, just playing around," according to the charges.
A second witness said Finau was holding two guns and also "confirmed that there was no argument or confrontation occurring between Finau and Ehlers at the time, but that Finau was pointing the firearms at Ehlers. (The witness) stated Finau continued to point the firearms at Ehlers, who had both hands up in the air, as they moved back into Ehlers's room," the charges state.
A few seconds later, a gunshot was heard.
Prosecutors have requested that Finau be held in the Salt Lake County Jail without the possibility of posting bail pending trial.
