How Steven Leannais managed to accidentally shoot dead a fellow dinner guest while live Facebook streaming unfolding events.
Steven Leannais a 30 year old Cleveland, Ohio man has said he is very sorry after ‘accidentally’ shooting dead his friend, Anthony Stanford II, 27, during a live Facebook video (see below) during a Thursday evening dinner party at his home.
Since arrested and charged with third degree involuntary manslaughter, the man’s lawyer said he wishes he could ‘trade places.’
Standing before Judge Suzanne Sweeny on Monday at the Cleveland Municipal Court, Leannais’ bond was set at $10, 000 notes a report via Cleveland.com.
Reiterated Leannais’ defense attorney, Leif Christman: ‘It’s so tragic,’
‘His friend is deceased. He hasn’t eaten or slept since it happened. He needs to get counseling.’
The victim’s death comes as dinner party attendees leading up to the surreal shooting had taken turns loading a gun and pointing at the camera. A live feed which was being posted on Facebook. Along with wielding a weapon, another dinner guest, a male is observed carrying a liquor bottle. At one point another guest is observed putting Leannis’s gun in his mouth.
Yet while the defense insists the shooting incident was accidental, prosecutors argue that the shooting was far from accidental and that Leannais was responsible because he fired the gun at the time, despite the shooting being ‘un-intentional.’
Of disconcert is Steve Leannais’ blood alcohol level at the time. According to court records, Leannais tested at 0.058 three hours after the incident.
In the state of Ohio, the blood alcohol driving limit comes in at 0.08 or above, raising the tantalizing question, was Leannais intoxicated at the time of the shooting, assuming his blood alcohol level would have gone down some three hours after the shooting.
According to cops and the medical examiner’s office, after the the video ended, Leannais grabbed the handgun and pulled the trigger, striking Stanford, 27, in the abdomen.
From there, Leannais called 911 to report the shooting with emergency respondents rushing Stanford to a nearby hospital where he died.
Of note, prior to Leanais’ gun going off, Leannais assured viewers and fellow dinner guests he took the clip out as well as the bullets. Unbeknownst to him (or was it, or was it just an oversight?) there was still one bullet left in the chamber when Leannais later fired off a round.
As part of his $10K bond deal, Leannais, who has never been convicted of a felony, agreed to prosecutors’ request that he give up any guns he still had along with surrendering his concealed carry license. He was also ordered to have no contact with any witnesses to the shooting.
Stanford, a father of five, was a maintenance worker and trained children in boxing, his mother said.
Isn’t it time you also played with your live gun on Facebook video at your next dinner party too?
