Top 10 of 2008: #10: Gun accidents claim lives of two Wiregrass teens

Tragedy marked the beginning of 2008 when gun accidents claimed the lives of two Wiregrass teens.

On Jan. 3, 15-year-old Joey Drescher of Tumbleton died when he was shot by his hunting buddy, 18-year-old Christopher Michael Newman. The two were neighbors and friends.

The incident happened just off County Road 91 in Henry County on a cold morning. Newman initially told officers he was shooting at a deer and missed. Later, he told officers that he fired at movement in the woods, and did not know Drescher was there.
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Top 10 of 2008: #10: Gun accidents claim lives of two Wiregrass teens in January
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Newman was charged with manslaughter and a Henry County grand jury returned an indictment for the same charge in April. The case is still pending in Henry County Circuit Court.

Less than a week after the Henry County incident, a 15-year-old Dothan teen was shot and killed when his 22-year-old companion fired at him thinking the gun was not loaded.

Daniel Wayne McKinnon died after being shot at point blank range with a .40 caliber pistol fired by Joshua Noel Jones. The two were with two others who had been riding around town in a Chevrolet Z71 with guns in the truck. They had stopped at a home near Eastwood Drive in Dothan when Jones picked up one of the guns turned to McKinnon who was sitting the back seat, and fired.

Jones was charged with manslaughter. During his trial, he claimed the gun went off accidentally when he was attempting to hand the gun to McKinnon. However, he was convicted in October and sentenced to 12 years in prison.