Background: A portion of South Washington Street in Casper, Wyoming (Google Maps). Inset: Sebastian Belden (Natrona County Sheriff's Office).
A man in Wyoming accused of shooting a teenager in the head during a game of "quick draw" on Mother's Day has admitted culpability, authorities say.
Sebastian Belden, 21, has pleaded guilty to aggravated assault and battery, local outlets including Cowboy State Daily reported. He now faces up to 10 years in prison after his plea deal with the Natrona County District Attorney's Office.
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On May 11, Belden was with a friend outside a home on the 100 block of South Washington Street in Casper, Wyoming. The two friends were "mishandling firearms, including pointing loaded handguns at one another," the Natrona County Sheriff's Office said.
It reportedly wasn't uncommon for the two friends to play "quick draw," as they called it, and Belden said they had made a habit of pointing guns at each other. In fact, the defendant even bought a gun for his 16-year-old friend.
However, on this evening, the guns weren't just pointed; one of them was fired. Belden had "discharged" his gun, with the bullet striking the teen above his left eye and coming out behind his left ear. The victim was taken to an area hospital for his injury.
When investigators spoke with Belden, he told them it was a "one-in-a-million-fluke kind of thing because the safety on my gun was on," per the local news source. "I didn't even know I had a live round in the chamber." Belden was taken into custody on May 23 and placed into the Natrona County Detention Center.
Other people were present during the shooting, including Belden's fiancee and two minors. The defendant initially told them to lie and tell authorities that he tripped with the gun, causing it to go off, Oil City News reported.
However, authorities noted that Belden appeared to have "remorse" for what happened, and he wrote an apology letter to the victim's family, asking for officers to give it to them.
"The note expressed regret and remorse on behalf of Belden for hurting [the teen]," an affidavit reportedly stated. "The note also indicated that the shooting was a 'terrible accident' and asked for the family's forgiveness."
