A New Straitsville woman died Saturday afternoon after an intoxicated acquaintance shot her, according to officials.
Deputies from the Athens County Sheriff's Office arrived around 3:30 p.m. Saturday at Biddyville Road in New Marshfield and found Jerri L. Vernon, 22, with a gunshot wound to the abdomen, according to a news release.
Matthew R. Culbertson, 26, of Athens, was over the legal drinking limit when he accidentally shot Vernon, said Sheriff Pat Kelly. He declined to say how much Culbertson was over the legal limit BAC of .08.
Southeast Ohio Emergency Medical Services transported Vernon to O'Bleness Memorial Hospital, where she was pronounced dead around 4 p.m.
Culbertson and some friends were drinking and practicing shooting during the day, Kelly said.
"Alcohol and firearms do not mix," he added. "(Culbertson) thought (the handgun) was empty and it wasn't."
The sheriff's office charged Culbertson with involuntary manslaughter. The third degree felony is punishable by up to five years in prison and a maximum fine of $10,000, according to Ohio Revised Code.
Culbertson received a concealed gun permit from the sheriff's office last year after completing a training course and a background check, Kelly said.
The case is still under investigation with the possibility of additional charges, according to the release.
Culbertson currently remains in the Southeastern Ohio Regional Jail.
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Caitlin Bowling
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