Boy, 15, charged with manslaughter in shooting death of teen in Ruskin
A 15-year-old boy has been arrested on manslaughter and other charges in the fatal shooting of another teen boy in Ruskin last month.
The boy is facing charges in the death of 14-year-old Mason Butler, the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office announced Friday. The Tampa Bay Times is not naming the boy because of his age.
According to the sheriff’s office, deputies responded about 4:40 p.m. on March 30 to a shooting at a home on the 900 block of Seminole Sky Drive. They found Butler suffering from a gunshot wound to chest. He died later at a local hospital.
The 15-year-old boy, who called 911, told deputies he was helping pack up a neighbor’s home when he found a firearm in a drawer and the gun discharged when he moved it, striking Butler in the chest. But detectives found evidence contradicting the boy’s statements and determined he tampered with evidence before deputies arrived.
The sheriff’s office did not provide more details Friday, and an arrest affidavit was not immediately available.
The boy will be charged as an adult with manslaughter with a firearm, tampering with physical evidence and being a minor in possession of a firearm, according to a news release from the Hillsborough State Attorney’s office.
The boy initially told deputies he found a gun in a nightstand and picked it up before stubbing his toe, causing the gun to fire, but evidence contradicted that, the release said.
“This tragedy claimed the life of a 14-year-old with a full life ahead of him,” Hillsborough State Attorney Suzy Lopez said in a statement included in the release. “The defendant has pending cases involving other violent incidents in juvenile court already. He made an adult decision and will be facing charges in adult court as a result. My heart is with the family and friends of the victim whose life was cut short due to the defendant’s reckless actions.”
An obituary written by Butler’s family said that he loved his family immensely. His family remembers him for being kind and leaving behind memories filled with laughter.
Butler loved music, video games, skating at Astro Skate of Brandon and eating out at Chipotle.
“Mason’s compassionate soul extended to everyone he encountered,” Butler’s family wrote in his obituary. “His absence leaves a void in our lives, but his memory will forever remain in our hearts.”
Butler’s sister, Savannah Butler, declined to comment to the Times but wrote a public Facebook post on March 31 about how her family is affected by her brother’s death.
“You deserved all the beauty life had to offer. I’m so sorry that it was taken away from you so soon,” she wrote.
“If you have children, please teach them about firearm safety. ... Mason would still be with us if this teenager knew to keep your finger off of the trigger when handling a firearm. One moment of complacency and ignorance took my little brother’s life. Our family will never be the same.”
Butler’s family has created a GoFundMe page to raise donations for his funeral service.
