Coffee County teen killed in accidental shooting

A Coffee County Central High School senior is dead after an accidental shooting at his Tennessee home on Friday.

Austin Payton Davis, 17, was at home with his grandfather and siblings when the fatal shot was fired from a small-caliber weapon, according to media reports in Coffee County.

Neither Coffee County Sheriff Chad Partin nor investigator Billy Butler returned calls Tuesday seeking information or a comment on the incident, but the newly elected sheriff told the Manchester Times over the weekend that the teen was “playing” with a gun when it “accidentally” discharged and shot him in the head.

The shooting happened around 3-3:30 p.m. CDT Friday in the New Union community, north of Manchester. The weapon was described as a .22-caliber pistol, according to the Times report.

Authorities told the Manchester paper there were no previous

problems involving the victim and that the incident is believed to be a “tragic accident.”

Austin will be laid to rest Wednesday.

The mood at Coffee County Central High School was somber Tuesday after students returned from the long holiday weekend that began with a tragedy, the school principal said.

“The faculty, staff and students of Coffee County Central High School are saddened by the death of one of our own, senior student Austin [Payton] Davis,” principal Paul Parsley said Tuesday. “Our hearts go out to his family and friends.”

“It’s been a quiet day. We’ve had counseling services available for students who need help with the grieving process.”

— PAUL PARSLEY,

COFFEE COUNTY CENTRAL HIGH SCHOOL PRINCIPAL

Students over the weekend had already heard about their classmate’s death online and through connections with each other, Parsley said.

“It’s been a quiet day,” Parsley said. “We’ve had counseling services available for students who need help with the grieving process.”

He said a candlelight vigil held Monday night that was attended by the victim’s family, friends and classmates “helped many of our students cope with the situation.”

The teen was described by his family and friends “as an energetic young man. He loved his truck, he loved to hunt and fish and he loved his friends,” the principal said.

Austin also loved horseback riding, playing basketball and frog gigging, according to his obituary on Coffee County Funeral Chapel’s website. He listened to “all kinds of music and attended Bonnaroo each year,” the obituary states. He is survived by his parents, sister, brother and grandparents.