TEXARKANA, Ark. -Prosecutors in Miller County have filed a formal manslaughter charge against a man accused of fatally shooting his girlfriend last month.
Kayden Shay May, 19, allegedly told investigators with the Texarkana, Arkansas, Police Department that pointing his AR-15 rifle at his girlfriend, Abbigayle Makenzie Thacker, 18, was the "dumbest thing he'd ever done," according to a probable cause affidavit.
Thacker was fatally wounded Feb. 20 by a single shot as she stood in the kitchen of the couple's small camper trailer on South Mosely Road in Texarkana, Ark.
May has been charged with "recklessly causing the death of another person," according to a criminal information filed in the case this week and signed by Chief Deputy Prosecuting Attorney Chuck Black.
In an interview with Texarkana, Arkansas, detectives, May allegedly said he and Thacker had joked and teased one another about dinner after he left work that afternoon. May reported that he worked for Thacker's grandfather all day and had dropped some tools off before going home about 4:30 p.m.
May allegedly claimed he had the rifle "out" and thought it was "clear of ammunition" when he took the safety off and fired the weapon as Thacker stood in front of the stove preparing food.
"He admitted that putting the rifle on fire and pointing it at the victim was the dumbest thing he'd ever done," the affidavit states. "He stated he could not believe he shot and killed his girlfriend. He said he may have accidentally pulled the bolt back before he released the magazine, causing the round to be entered into the chamber."
Immediately after the gun fired, May sought help from his aunt, who lives in a house on the same property as the camper. May allegedly attempted CPR but Thacker died at the scene.
May is currently free on a $20,000 bond and is prohibited from possessing firearms. His case has been assigned to Circuit Judge Carlton Jones.
If found guilty of manslaughter, May faces three to 10 years in prison, a fine up to $10,000 or both.