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

Zachary Wells, 11 Vine St., 21, had been charged 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.

Conewango Township police were dispatched shortly after midnight on Jan. 1 to 11 Vine St. for a report of a shooting at that address.

A woman answered the door and allegedly told police that a 17-year-old male “had shot himself in an upstair(s) bedroom,” per the affidavit of probable cause.

Police detail that they went upstairs and observed Wells “exiting his bedroom, yelling repeatedly ‘No, don’t come up.'”

The affidavit states that Wells was detained before police observed the juvenile, who was “laying on (Wells) bed covered in blood.”

Officers observed blood on the bed and a handgun under the juvenile’s right arm.

“It was later learned,” the affidavit states, “that (the juvenile) died from a single gunshot wound to the head.”

Wells told police that he, the juvenile and a third individual were in the bedroom and were “(expletive) around” with the handguns that the juvenile allegedly brought to the residence on numerous occasions.

“These handguns,” police allege, “were known by (the juvenile and Wells) to be stolen.”

Two 9 mm handguns and what police call an “AR-15 style rifle” were found at the residence. Three cell phones were seized which revealed “multiple videos and pictures showing the handguns in the possession of (Wells) while in his own bedroom on Vine St.”

Police say that further investigation determined that the handguns were both stolen – one from a camp in Marienville and the other from a vehicle parked in North Warren last October.

In the affidavit filed Tuesday, Wells allegedly acknowledged during that July interview that he had been drinking when the incident occurred and told law enforcement that the situation was a “terrible accident.” Wells reportedly told investigators that he had the handgun in his possession “and was sitting in the corner of the bedroom when the gun discharged.”

Officers allege that Wells demonstrated how to operate a handgun but “stated he was confused on how the firearm discharged because he had ‘checked’ and made sure the gun was empty.”

Wells allegedly told police that he “placed (the) empty magazine into the pistol and physically squeezed the trigger without pointing it in a safe direction.

“The defendant did not properly check and see if a chambered bullet was inside the handgun,” the affidavit states. “This resulted in the defendant pressing the trigger and discharging the firearm into (the juvenile) resulting in his death.”

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 or a person located at the scene at the time of the incident.”

Wells remains incarcerated in the county jail.