Amarillo man pleads guilty after claiming he accidentally shot roommate in face
AMARILLO, Texas (KVII) — An Amarillo man pleaded guilty to manslaughter after claiming he accidentally shot his roommate in the face.
Dylan Tyler Mims, 23, was sentenced Monday to five years in prison and a $500 fine.
According to court records, police responded to the Axiom at Bell apartment complex on September 29, 2021.
They found Ladarius Eugene Johnson, 22, who had been shot inside an apartment.
Johnson was taken to the hospital where he died from two gun shots to the face.
Police spoke to three people in the courtyard of the apartment complex. All three had blood on them.
Mims said he accidentally shot Johnson while playing with a handgun.
Their other roommate did not say it was an accident. Instead, he said Mims "pointed (the gun) at Johnson when it went off."
The third person claimed he was in the shower at the time of the shooting.
During as search of the home, police found:
- Pistol
- Extended 9mm magazine
- 3 cartridges from the extended magazine
- Cartridge from the living room
- Swab of red stain on living room floor
- "Projectile" from inside hallway
- Baggie of suspected marijuana
- Glock 23 gun box containing two magazines, one with 12 cartridges
- 12 rounds of ammo
- Bullet in bedroom closet
- Michael Kors box containing miscellaneous bullets from living room closet
- Drug paraphernalia