DE PERE, WI (WTAQ) – De Pere police say one man has been arrested in the death of his friend over the weekend.
Police were called to 1107 Chicago Street just before 3 a.m. Saturday morning for a welfare check, and found 21-year-old Tyler Waldron injured in the basement. He was taken to the hospital where he later died from a single gunshot wound to the head.
“Based on interviews and investigation, we’ve identified James C. Vandenack who resided at that home as the person who had fired the firearm that struck Tyler and killed him,” says De Pere Police Captain Dale Haagen during a news conference Monday.
Haagen says Vandenack and Waldron apparently went out to the bars that night, then returned to the condo and began play-fighting. That’s when the gun was brought into play.
“It was in the possession of Mr. Vandenack and in the course of their wrestling, he had discharged the firearm believing there was not a round in the chamber,” says Capt. Haagen.
Vandenack, who Haagen described as “distraught”, is facing charges of first-degree reckless homicide, being a felon in possession of a firearm and bail jumping. He has yet to be formally charged.
At the end of the day, Haagen says it was a bad decision which caused this unfortunate incident.
“A lot of bad choices that night and it led to tragedy,” says Haagen. “This was definitely preventable, I mean, it shouldn’t have happened but it did.”
Haagen stressed that this is an ongoing investigation and toxicology reports are pending.
Vandenack was previously convicted in Kewaunee County of two counts of burglary back in 2011.
