Background: Andrew Lawson speaks at his plea hearing on Jan. 15 (WOFL). Inset: Austin Walsh (Brevard County Sheriff's Office).
A Florida man who served as a sheriff's deputy has pleaded guilty to shooting his roommate and fellow deputy in the head.
Andrew Lawson, 25, pleaded guilty to manslaughter on Thursday, three years after he called 911 to report that he shot his friend, 23-year-old Austin Walsh. Both men were roommates in Palm Bay, and both served as deputies at the Brevard County Sheriff's Office. Lawson and Walsh were off duty on the night of Dec. 3, 2022, and playing video games.
During a break, Lawson picked up a gun that he believed was unloaded and "jokingly" aimed it at the man he later described as his "best friend." Lawson pulled the trigger twice and shot Walsh in the head, killing him immediately.
During a press conference at the time of the shooting, Brevard County Sheriff Wayne Ivey recounted that Lawson was "fully distraught and devastated" when Palm Bay police arrived at the deputies' home. When the officers found Walsh, they determined that he "apparently succumbed immediately" following the shooting and was pronounced dead at the scene.
Ivey called the shooting a "clearly dumb and avoidable accident." While providing details about the chain of events that led up to Lawson pulling the trigger, Ivey said he had pointed the gun at his friend "jokingly."
An affidavit reviewed by Law&Crime provided more details about the nature of the shooting. Lawson told police that while the roommates were taking a break from playing Call of Duty, he picked up a pistol that he believed "was not loaded." He then checked to make sure the gun was not loaded. While Walsh was standing in a doorway, Lawson "pointed the firearm at Walsh and pulled the trigger."
The gun did not go off. Lawson then "again pointed the firearm at Walsh and again pulled the trigger," this time firing a bullet into Walsh's head, killing him.
During the plea hearing on Thursday, an emotional Lawson took the stand on his own behalf, saying, "It breaks my soul to know that I took Austin's future away from him, and because of what I did, not only will I never be able to talk to Austin again, but you guys won't be able to, either."
Local CBS affiliate WKMG reported that Walsh's brother said, "You don't point a firearm at another person without the intent to kill that person."
Lawson's sentencing hearing is scheduled to continue on Jan. 30. He reportedly faces up to seven years behind bars.