Police say they believe the overnight shooting death of a man at the PT Barnum Housing complex in Bridgeport resulted from the victim accidentally misfiring his gun.
The family of 31-year-old Tavon Cooper says they're heartbroken by his sudden death. It happened around 10 p.m. Thursday.
Bridgeport Police Chief AJ Perez says it appears Cooper, who was found in this car, went over a speed bump while driving through the complex when the gun he was holding accidentally discharged, resulting in the deadly gunshot. He says there's surveillance video of the incident.
Family members say Cooper recently attended a vigil for his nephew, 18-year-old Corbin Cooper, who died last week after being ejected from a car following a police chase on Route 8.
The family says Cooper was in a highly emotional state following the death of his nephew, which may have contributed to his death. Additionally, police say gunshots from another weapon on the outside of the car suggest somebody may have been shooting at Cooper just beforehand.
Perez says the medical examiner is soon expected to make a final ruling on the cause of death.