Florida man allegedly killed close friend who came over for food and drinks

PASCO COUNTY, Fla. (TCN) — A 61-year-old man is in custody on suspicion of fatally shooting his friend and telling authorities he believed the victim was an intruder.

According to an affidavit, in the early hours of Jan. 28, a neighbor called 911 and said John Hainlin told him he shot a person inside his home. The neighbor reportedly went inside the residence and found an unresponsive male. Hainlin also called law enforcement, reporting that he shot someone who broke into his house.

Officers from the New Port Richey and Port Richey Police departments responded to Hainlin’s home and located the victim in a recliner chair in the living room. According to WTVT-TV, family members identified the victim as 74-year-old Ross Coyle. He was transported to Bayonet Point Medical Center, where he was pronounced deceased.

Hainlin reportedly told authorities he shot a stranger who he believed to be an intruder breaking in to his house. He also claimed he had a friend over earlier in the evening, but he said he called an Uber for his friend to return home because they had been drinking.

During an audio-recorded interview, court documents say Hainlin “appeared to be intoxicated” and had “slurred speech, red bloodshot glassy eyes, and the odor of an alcoholic beverage emitting from his breath.”

According to the affidavit, Hainlin said during the interview that his friend came over, and they cooked food together and drank alcohol. Hainlin reportedly told authorities that after calling his friend an Uber, he went back inside and locked the door. After using the restroom, Hainlin claimed he saw an intruder. He allegedly told officials he grabbed his firearm from under his pillow and shot the suspected intruder from approximately 6 feet away before calling 911.

Investigators executed a search warrant and observed “no signs of forced entry” and noticed Hainlin did not have any active rideshare applications on his phone.

According to the affidavit, authorities believe Hainlin made “inaccurate statements” and that the victim he shot was his close friend who had come over for food and drinks.

Hainlin remains held in the Pasco County Corrections on a charge of murder.

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