A North Warren man has been charged with involuntary manslaughter in connection with a New Year’s Day shooting death.

Zachary Wells, 21, had been charged back in March with two counts of receiving stolen property and tampering with physical evidence.

Conewango Township police filed the involuntary manslaughter charge late Tuesday afternoon.

According to the affidavit of probable cause, the new charge stems from a July 26 interview where Wells allegedly disclosed that he “squeezed the trigger without pointing it in a safe direction” while believing that there was not a bullet in the chamber.

He allegedly acknowledged that he had been drinking when the incident occurred and told law enforcement that the situation was a “terrible accident.”

Police state in the affidavit of probable cause that the information provided by Wells is consistent with all other evidence and “would only be known by law enforcement ora a person located at the scene at the time of the incident.

Wells remains incarcerated in the county jail.