Christopher Scott Cody Bunch was 23 when he was fatally shot on the evening of December 30, 2014, inside a home on Dutch Valley Road in Anderson County, Tennessee. Friends gathered there had been discussing a .45-caliber handgun when the weapon discharged while being held by Joseph Eric McClane. The single bullet struck Christopher in the chest; he was pronounced dead shortly after 10:00 p.m.

Deputies found a neighbor attempting first aid. McClane told authorities he was trying to de-cock the firearm’s hammer when it slipped and the gun fired; witnesses at the scene corroborated that the gun just went off. The Anderson County Sheriff’s Department referred the case to its Criminal Investigations Division, and no criminal charges were filed.

In December 2015 Christopher’s mother, Marcella Marcy Bunch, filed a $6 million wrongful death suit naming McClane, the handgun owner Joshua Hutchins, and homeowners Robert and Melissa Kemp. The complaint alleged gross negligence and recklessness and noted Christopher was confined to a wheelchair due to spina bifida and was unable to move out of the way.