Chief: 'Accidental' gunshot kills man

A 38-year-old man died from a gunshot to the head on Wednesday night.

http://www.rutlandherald.com/article/20100326/NEWS02/3260354/1003/NEWS02       # # # # Chief: 'Accidental' gunshot kills man  •  Rutland Herald  •  By Josh O'Gorman STAFF WRITER - Published: March 26, 2010  •  SPRINGFIELD — A 38-year-old man died from a gunshot to the head on Wednesday night.  •  Around 7:30 p.m., police received a call about a shooting at a Connecticut River Road residence, said Springfield Police Chief Douglas S. Johnston. According to police, a man discharged a pistol, possibly .44 caliber, with a single bullet striking him just under his chin.  •  Investigators with Springfield Police and the Medical Examiner's Office responded to the scene and interviewed the two or three other people who were home at the time of the shooting, Johnston said.  •  "Right now, the death appears to be accidental," Johnston said. "Apparently, he had just bought it (the pistol) and he got it out to show his family, and I don't know if the trigger caught on something or what but the gun went off."  •  Police said only one shot was fired, with nobody else hurt or killed. The body has been transported to the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner's Office in Burlington for an autopsy. Johnston said that while there were people in the residence, nobody actually witnessed the shooting.  •  The event remains under investigation, but Johnston, who would not release the name of the deceased, said he did not anticipate filing any charges. He did, however, urge people to be careful when handling a gun.  •  "(You've) got to treat all firearms as if they're loaded, whether they are or not," he said.  •