NASSAU COUNTY, FLORIDA, Fla. — A group of friends hanging out in a Yulee home Saturday watching the Miami Dolphins vs. Kansas City Chiefs tragically ended with a man shot dead. Nassau County Sheriff's Office said Tyler Shepperd, 26, of Jacksonville, accidentally shot his friend, Thomas Gage Skipper, 25.
Skipper's mother, Sharon Skipper, told First Coast News that her family does not harbor ill will towards Shepperd and is not angry at him. "We need to ask people to pray for Tyler and his family," she said, adding it was a "dumb accident."
Skipper described her son as witty and smart. She said he loved animals and the Lord.
Victor Lane was a witness to the shooting. He told First Coast News that Thomas Skipper - who goes by his middle name Gage - brought out his gun and talked about wanting another one. Lane said Skipper unloaded the gun, took off the magazine, and handed it to Shepperd.
Believing the gun was unloaded, Shepperd pointed the gun at Skipper and pulled the trigger.
Lane said Shepperd and Skipper were good friends and the men served in the Marines together. The U.S. Marine Corps confirmed the men enlisted together in 2017. Skipper served until 2019 and Shepperd served until 2021.
Shepperd called 911 and reported he had shot his friend at the home in the 85000 block of St. John Court.
NCSO and Nassau County Fire Rescue responded to the scene. First responders attempted life-saving measures on Skipper and he was taken to the hospital by ambulance, but he did not survive.
A witness told police that Skipper was carelessly handling a handgun, according to police records. Shepherd also told police that Skipper was mishandling the gun and had "dry fired" it before handing it to him.
Shepherd said that when he retrieved the gun, he pointed it at Skipper. While he said he did not believe the gun was loaded, he did tell police he "intentionally" pulled the trigger.
Shepherd's arrest report says that Skipper's death was caused by Shepherd's negligence in handling the gun. He was released from jail on $100,000 bond.
Edgar Roberts lives next door to the home where the shooting took place. He said he did not know what happened until he saw police outside his home that night. He said he is heartbroken for all the families involved.
“It was just a tragedy. It's sad because I see those guys all the time. And I know that one of them accidentally killed the other. It's terrible,” Roberts said.
