Accidental Shooting Leave 18-Year-Old Dead
Aransas Pass Police Department
ARANSAS PASS, TEXAS (News Release) - On Friday, April 19, 2024, just after 9 p.m., Aransas Pass Police, Fire, and EMS services responded to a residence in the 500 Blk of West Yoakum for an accidental shooting.
Several subjects were on location when emergency crews arrived.
Phillip Esslinger, age 18, had been shot in the chest. The weapon used was a shotgun shooting birdshot.
The shotgun accidentally discharged after being worked on by another occupant at the location.
Emergency crews immediately tended to Esslinger and transported him to the nearest emergency room, where he died from his injuries.
Though the investigation remains in its preliminary stages, all accounts at this time point to the shooting being accidental.
No arrests have been made, and the case remains active and ongoing.
