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Court Appearance Postponed For Suspect In April Death Of Teen At Cottage Hill Party
December 2, 2024
A court appearance has been postponed for a now 20-year-old charged in the April 2024 fatal shooting of a 16-year-old at a party at a Cottage Hill home.
Ethan Alexander O’Brien remains in the Escambia County Jail without bond on charges of second-degree negligent manslaughter, tampering with evidence and improper exhibition of a firearm. He was due for a docket hearing on the day before Thanksgiving, but Judge John Simon granted a defense motion to continue without opposition from prosecutors. His next court date is now set for February 26.
The investigation determined that during a large gathering at the residence, O’Brien (pictured) was showing off his firearm at which time it accidentally discharged hitting 16-year-old Bryson Allen.
The incident happened about 11:30 p.m. Friday, April 12 at a home in the 600 block of Wishbone Road. Allen was pronounced deceased at the scene, and investigators said O’Brien fled the scene.
Pictured top: The scene on Wishbone Road in Cottage Hill late Friday night, April 12, after a teen was shot and killed. Pictured below: Crime scene still surrounded the home the following Saturday morning. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Comments
9 Responses to “Court Appearance Postponed For Suspect In April Death Of Teen At Cottage Hill Party”
THIS “he brought a loaded handgun to a party and then was showing off with it and killed someone and then he fled”
He ran because he knew he did something WRONG..
Good kid or not, there are plenty of GOOD people in prison from doing something stupid ONCE..
The state is not happy with him as his bond shows. Had he stayed there that night and not ran and hid, the state would have made the bond reasonable.
@Bill T cars aren’t weapons? The driver of a car failed to yield to oncoming traffic… resulting in vehicular manslaughter… right? They failed to control their weapon. And you’re right I wasn’t there but what I can tell you is he didn’t mean to take a life. Lack of gun safety!!!! Lack of a Daddy to teach him correct gun safety!!!! What about the person he bought the gun from? Ethan has a chance to be someone. He can turn this crappy situation around. I don’t want my tax money to fund his stay! If my child were the one who lost his life I wouldn’t want death! Punishment yes, death no!
@Brandy I’m so glad to hear that you know it was a accident so you had to see this to actually know this and be able to testify in a court of law that you saw everything right WRONG!!! You weren’t there you are going on hear say and really don’t know nothing !!! You only know less than everyone else apparently you may want to hope he’s not going to prison BUT if convicted he may never get out alive. OH Wait a minute that’s right we all got to go sooner or later right BUT not in prison for murder remember that!!!!!!!
Why is he at a party with minors anyway showing a firearm that he’s not even supposed to have. Bryson was a good kid and didn’t deserve what happened to him and now Ethan is gonna suffer his consequences in jail it is what it is….
Unfortunate accident. No matter, doesn’t help the family that is now missing a loved one. This young man still needs to be punished for the life he took. Prayers for both families.
@BRANDY… I am pretty sure that everyone knows that he did not intend to kill this young man. The problem is that he brought a loaded handgun to a party and then was showing off with it and killed someone and then he fled. The guy that has a couple of drinks at the bar and then kills someone while driving home did not intend to do so, but he still did.
The reality is that this young man will probably get 15 years to think about how stupid his act was and then he can get out and hopefully live a productive life and make amends for killing another young person that never had the chance to figure out their life.
@Brandy
When a DUI driver kills, it was only an accident
When you mishandle a gun that kills,, an accident maybe
Both cases shows long jail times ahead
May it teach the young a lesson
@Bill T thats just crazy talk. It was an accident. I’ve known him since he was 6 weeks old. He is a good human and if it was my son who he shot I wouldn’t wish death upon him. It was a careless ACCIDENT. And saying he may not get out alive, non of us get out “ALIVE” but he will be forgiven.
If convicted get comfortable you will be very old if and when you get out !!! And you may not get out alive