WILSON COUNTY, Tenn. (WKRN) -- A jury found a 22-year-old Wilson County man guilty Friday of "recklessly killing" a Mt. Juliet teen the day after his birthday back in 2022, officials said.
According to a statement released by District Attorney General Jason Lawson of the 15th Judicial District, the proof presented at trial established that then-20-year-old Caleb Mershon and Austin Gordon, who were friends, were celebrating Gordon's 19th birthday in September 2022 when Mershon unintentionally shot Gordon, resulting in his death.
Prosecutors reportedly introduced evidence that Mershon was intoxicated while demonstrating extreme recklessness with a handgun, pointing it at other teens over the course of the evening before the shooting occurred. Afterward, Mershon unsuccessfully tried to help Gordon.
"This is a terribly tragic case of a person treating a gun as a toy while intoxicated," Lawson stated. "There was never any question that the defendant did not intend to shoot his friend, but his reckless behavior with that gun cost Austin his life and has forever changed the lives of many people. Those are actions that Caleb Mershon must be held responsible for."
The trial began on Wednesday, May 15 as Lawson said he and Deputy District Attorney Justin Harris called first responders, a neighbor who rendered aid, and Gordon's mother to the witness stand. The next day, the jury heard from six teenage witnesses who observed the events from the night of the shooting, as well as Detective Matthew Smith from the Wilson County Sheriff's Office, who investigated the case. Then, on Friday, May 17, professionals from the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI) crime lab and the Medical Examiner's office testified to close the state's proof.
According to the district attorney general, Mershon was the only one who testified in his defense.
"A case such as this shows the expertise of many professionals whose work proves the case. Detective Smith is the consummate professional in investigating and collecting the evidence. Three experts from the TBI crime lab and a forensic pathologist at the M.E.'s office interpreted the evidence for us," Lawson explained. "I believe the most important evidence in the case was the videos recovered from Snapchat and cell phones which showed the behavior of the defendant with the gun that night. Detective Smith's recovery of those videos gave the jury a front row seat to the recklessness of the defendant leading up to the fatal shooting."
Lawson said the Wilson County jury deliberated for just under two hours before finding Mershon guilty of reckless homicide, reckless aggravated assault resulting in death, three counts of reckless endangerment, possession of a firearm while intoxicated, and underage consumption of alcohol.
Mershon's sentencing hearing is set for Sept. 10. The trial judge will decide on the punishment, which ranges from a minimum penalty of two years to a maximum penalty of 16 years, according to Lawson.
