Homicide south of Seneca

A 43-year old man shot dead early today near Seneca is reported by the coroner to be the victim of homicide. Coroner Karl Addis says the death of Jason Edward Dalton at 641 Lands End Road in the Crossroads Community appears to be the result of the negligent handling of a firearm. And Addis is referring questions about further details to the Sheriff’s Office, which is investigating. The Sheriff’s Office this afternoon released a statement which, in part, reads, “When deputies arrived, they discovered a male subject lying inside the residence with a gunshot wound to the upper torso with two individuals inside the house rendering aid.  Deputies were told that the shot that struck the victim came from another part of the house and not in the room that the victim was in.  Deputies were told that the individual who fired the weapon was reportedly showing the weapon to someone else when the weapon discharged.  The individual then left from the scene before deputies arrived.”  Dalton died of a gunshot wound to the upper body. The incident was reported to 9-1-1 at 3:37 this morning.