Just after midnight in Waco, a fatal joke turned tragic. In a quiet home on South 21st Street, 24-year-old Tyreese Johnson lost his life when a rifle discharged while being handled “playfully” by a friend. That friend, Joshua Chappell, also 24, is now facing a manslaughter charge as the community reels from what authorities say was not malice, but an irreversible mistake.
Police say officers were called at about 12:20 a.m. Wednesday to the 2400 block of South 21st. Inside, they found Johnson with a gunshot wound to his chest. First responders began CPR immediately, but he was later pronounced dead at the hospital.
Investigators say the weapon was an AR-15 semiautomatic rifle. According to the arrest warrant affidavit, Chappell had been pointing it around—making shooting sounds with his mouth, miming trigger pulls—as Johnson and a woman sat across from him in the living room. In that moment, the rifle fired, hitting Johnson.
Police emphasize this was not the result of a fight or argument. No struggle, no provocation—just a lapse in judgment. Detectives believe what happened was avoidable, a stark reminder of how dangerously fragile safety can be when guns are handled carelessly.
Witnesses say a woman seated next to Johnson spoke up immediately, and another occupant—woken by the noise—called 911. They attempted CPR until emergency crews arrived.
Chappell was arrested without incident. At booking, he was charged with second-degree manslaughter and held in the McLennan County Jail on a $50,000 bond. In his statement to police, he reportedly expressed remorse, saying he knew what had just occurred and that he was “sorry.”
For the Waco Police Department, this incident is a painful lesson. Their public statement stressed that every firearm must always be treated as if it’s loaded, no exceptions—even “in jest.” The department extended condolences to Johnson’s family while reminding the public that accidents like this can—and must—be prevented by respect, vigilance, and responsible handling.
As the investigation continues, forensics and ballistics tests will shed more light on exactly how the discharge happened. But for now, the once ordinary night in Waco has become a grave warning: when you point a gun—real or pretending—you gamble with fate.
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