Testimony: Student was killed by classmate playing with gun

NASHVILLE – Court testimony says a Tennessee State University student shot and killed a classmate while playing with a stolen gun.

The Tennessean reports testimony was heard Tuesday at a preliminary hearing for 18-year-old George Wells Jr., who’s charged with reckless homicide in the death of 19-year-old Rickey B. Scott. Scott was fatally shot in the abdomen on Oct. 13.

Metro Nashville police Detective Christopher Dickerson testified that Wells said he was in Scott’s dorm room handling what he thought was a pellet gun when he pulled the trigger, unintentionally hitting Scott.

Dickerson said Scott told paramedics before he died that he thought the weapon was an airsoft gun. Scott’s roommate testified Scott had stolen the gun. Authorities still haven’t recovered the weapon.

The case has been sent to a grand jury.

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Information from: The Tennessean, http://www.tennessean.com