By Christina Zhao
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An 82-year-old Florida man fatally shot his son during an argument on Christmas day.
According to a press release, deputies from the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office responded to a 911 call in Plant City late on Tuesday evening. The caller — who phoned in from inside the house — stated that Guy Richard Vickery, 82, had shot his son, Benjamin Vickery, 50, in the upper body area following an argument.
Benjamin Vickery was immediately transported to South Florida Baptist Hospital, where he later died from his injuries. Guy Richard Vickery — who admitted he was responsible for the shot according to an arrest affidavit — was charged with manslaughter with a weapon firearm, a first-degree felony which carries up to 30 years in prison.
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An investigation has been launched into the incident.
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The arrest affidavit, seen by the Tampa Bay Times, stated that Benjamin Vickery began arguing with his father and a witness at around 9.30 p.m. on Christmas night, before Guy Vickery grabbed a gun from upstairs. The witness, who has not been named, then heard a gun fired and subsequently saw Benjamin Vickery laying on the ground.
According to the Times, court records showed that the father had shot his son in the left shoulder in February 2000 during another argument. Benjamin Vickery recovered from the incident after being treated at South Florida Baptist Hospital and was charged with false imprisonment, battery, domestic violence and burglary of a vehicle, but the charges were later dropped.
While his father was said to have acted in self-defense and avoided being charged.
Neighbor Brent Register, 66, told the newspaper that the two men "squabbled" but were "smart" and "intelligent" — although he didn't know what exactly their argument was about. He also said they worked as expert machinists and were often sought after by mining companies for their skills.
The Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office did not immediately respond to Newsweek's request for comment.
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