Police arrested a convicted felon Friday after he admitted to accidentally shooting a man while drunk in his house two weeks ago.
Michael Hannigan, 34, Shane Russell and a woman were at Hannigan’s house, located at 6603 NW 30th Terrace, June 20 when he took out a .38 caliber derringer pistol and began handling it while drinking alcohol, according to a Gainesville Police arrest report.
At about 3 p.m., the pistol went off, striking Russell in the torso. According to the report, the victim asked Hannigan and the woman to call the police — but Hannigan decided not to, given his status as a convicted felon.
In 2004, Hannigan was charged with violently resisting an officer.
Hannigan and the woman then placed Russell in the back seat of her car and drove to the nearest Walmart on Northwest 23rd Street. They dropped Russell in the parking lot near the front entrance, according to the report.
On his way to Walmart, Russell called 911 begging for help and told the operator he was about to die, according to the report.
Police identified Hannigan and the witness in relation to the incident June 22. According to the report, Hannigan turned over the gun, which he had hid inside a speaker in his house.
At first, both Hannigan and the woman told police Russell shot himself. They later admitted to lying and said it was Hannigan who accidentally shot Russell, according to the report.
As of Wednesday evening, Hannigan remains in the Alachua County Jail in lieu of a $285,000 bond. He faces charges of culpable negligence, possession of a weapon as a convicted felon and tampering with evidence.
Russell’s condition is unknown and police are investigating the woman’s role in the incident, said GPD spokesperson Officer Ben Tobias.
