Cape Coral, FL: Boyfriend, 18, faces charge in shooting death of girl, 15

Tells Cape Coral police it was an accident
BY EVANGELIA GANOSELLIS, EGANOSELLIS@NEWS-PRESS.COM & MAE YOUSIF-BASHI, MBASHI@NEWS-PRESS.COM • SEPTEMBER 4, 2010
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8:44 A.M. UPDATE — The boyfriend of a 15-year-old girl shot to death inside his Cape Coral home Friday in what he said was an accident has been charged with manslaughter, police said.

Dylan Wisniewski, 18, is accused of manslaughter with a firearm, a second-degree felony, after firing a gun he said he didn’t realize was loaded, killing his girlfriend, 15-year-old Ashlee Swazey, also of Cape Coral, police said.

Wisniewski and Swazey, a student at Ida Baker High School, were in a bedroom at Wisniewski’s home, according to Cape police spokeswoman Capt. Lisa Barnes.

Wisniewski told police he took out the .22-caliber rifle and pulled the trigger, unaware the gun was loaded, Barnes said.

One shot struck Swazey in the head and killed her, according to Barnes. She was pronounced dead at the scene.

Wisniewski was transported to Lee County Jail on Friday night. The second-degree manslaughter charge carries a maximum 15-year prison sentence.

Several other people were inside the home at Southeast Sixth Lane when the shooting occurred, Barnes said.

According to Lee property records, the house belongs to Janel and Stanley Wisniewski.

Cullen Lowe, 74, a neighbor of the family who said he knows them fairly well, said Wisniewski had plans to go fishing with his friends Friday afternoon.

“I didn’t hear anything,” Lowe said of the shooting. “I just saw the police cars going by.”
He described the family as quiet, nice people.

“They always come by and say ‘Hi,’ check on me to see if I need anything,” Lowe said.

Police received a 911 call from the residence, and when officers and EMS arrived, Swazey was already dead.

The other people in the house were interviewed by detectives at the police station.

The Wisniewski family couldn’t be reached Friday for comment. No working phone number could be found for Swazey’s family.

Ida Baker Principal Melissa Robery said the school district has a crisis team to offer support to students who need it.




A reporter tried to interview students and faculty at Ida Baker’s home football game Friday night, but was asked to leave by Lee schools Superintendent James Browder.