Death investigation underway in Tupelo

TUPELO (WCBI) – Tupelo Police are working what it’s labeling as a death investigation in the city.

Lee County Coroner Carolyn Green identifies the victim as 21-year-old Madchen Sloan of Tupelo.

Officers responded to a home on Leighton Drive around one o’clock Tuesday morning where they found an adult male dead from gunshots.

Police are not saying anything else about the death at this time or if it is being considered a criminal act.

WCBI spoke with the alleged shooter in the incident, Daniel Gilbert.

Gilbert calls the shooting accidental.

According to Gilbert, he picked Sloan up from work late Monday night.

The two pulled into Gilbert’s home on Leighton Drive and were just getting ready to go inside, then tragedy struck.

“I got him off work around 11:20, 11:30 and we came to the house,” said Gilbert. “We were in the truck and I got my stuff to go in the house and he was like, aye, you forgetting your gun. I reached over to get my gun and he got shot man. He really got shot.”

While in the process of trying to get the gun, Gilbert said it accidentally went off and struck 21-year-old Sloan.

“I’m sorry man, I’m just so sorry,” said Gilbert. “Madchen was like a brother to me.”

“We truly apologize about this tragedy that happened here this morning,” said Onilisa Zinn, who lives at the home and administered CPR to Sloan. “I couldn’t stop what happened. I tried my best to save him, but our condolences go out to him, and his family, and my family as well because he was like a brother to us. This was his second home and we are truly sorry.”

Shortly after the shooting, Gilbert was taken into custody for an unknown amount of time, and then was later released.

The investigation into this incident is still on-going.