A Florida man shot and killed his son-in-law Tuesday night in a birthday surprise gone tragically wrong, police said.
Christopher Bergan, 37, and his wife flew from Norway to Florida Tuesday to surprise Richard Dennis, his wife’s father, for his 61st birthday. Bergan knocked on Dennis’s back door then hid in some nearby bushes. When Dennis opened the door, Bergan jumped out and made a growling noise, startling Dennis, who shot Bergan in the chest with his .380 semi-automatic, killing him.
Santa Rosa County Sheriff Bob Johnson said no charges would be filed against Dennis, who reportedly told investigators he thought the knock at his door was another relative with whom he’d had an argument earlier in the day, according to the Tampa Bay Times.
“I can’t say anything against Mr. Dennis for doing what he did,” Johnson said at a news conference. “It was just a horrible accident. It never should have happened.”
The North West Florida Daily News reported that deputies found Bergan wrapped in blood-soaked towels in a vain attempt to stop the bleeding.
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