A Gwinnett County man was convicted of involuntary manslaughter and sentenced to eight months in jail for accidental shooting and killing his neighbor while cleaning his gun in his apartment, officials said.
Maxwell Mathews Williamson, 25, of Duluth, was also found guilty of reckless conduct, Gwinnett District Attorney Patsy Austin-Gatson said in a statement. Involuntary manslaughter and reckless conduct are both misdemeanors.
Williamson inadvertently shot and killed 32-year-old Carlether Foley on Sept. 25, 2021, the DA’s office said. Williamson told police he was cleaning a handgun in his bedroom when it fired a shot through a shared wall between his apartment and Foley’s, according to Austin-Gatson. The bullet hit Foley in the head as she lay in bed.
After the gun went off, Williamson put a note on Foley’s door before leaving the apartment complex, Austin-Gatson said. Williamson did not call 911 or report the gunshot to anyone.
Foley’s son, who was 17 at the time, returned home to find his mother dead, the DA said.
“This defendant’s reckless actions left a teenaged son without his mother and the teen’s grandmother without her only daughter,”Austin-Gatson said. “It is vitally important that gun owners handle and store weapons responsibly. There must be accountability when gun owners are irresponsible and innocent victims are harmed.”
Foley was an aspiring actress who appeared in a few independent productions beginning in 2018.
In addition to the jail time, Williamson was sentenced to 16 months of probation.
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