'Don't play with guns.' Negligence led to shooting of Lexington 18-year-old, police say.

An 18-year-old man was shot in the back of the head Monday night when a gun was handled negligently, Lexington police said Tuesday.

The victim was taken to University of Kentucky Chandler Hospital after suffering a gunshot wound to his head inside a Strader Drive residence at 7:15 p.m. Monday, according to police Lt. Jervis Middleton.

Erick Teutla, 22, was arrested without incident and charged with assault in the case, Middleton said.

Middleton said Teutla was negligently handling a firearm, causing it to discharge. Narcotic use was also involved in the shooting, Middleton added.

The victim’s brother, Tyler Lee Deering, said Rick McFadden went through surgery after being shot in the back of his head and was stable in the ICU Tuesday morning.

“Don’t play with guns,” Middleton emphasized. “Negligent handling of firearms leads to situations like this. Couple that with narcotic use and it makes it worse. If you don’t know about the gun and you aren’t handling it safely, don’t use it.

This story was originally published July 24, 2018 at 7:57 AM.