Joshua Beasley killed his wife. Today he was booked for manslaughter
According to the affidavit, "She (Alaina) pointed her hand at the defendant and pretended to have a gun. The defendant said he raised the shotgun to his shoulder and pulled the trigger...He said he forgot the gun was loaded."
Joshua made many mistakes which sadly turned fatal. He failed to check to ensure his weapon was unloaded before 'sweeping' the house. He failed to avoid pointing the muzzle at something he didn't want to see destroyed. Finally, he pulled the trigger. Forgetting that the gun is loaded is not an excuse.
I realize the importance of practicing moving through your house with a shotgun or rifle - it's no different that practicing fire drills or other possible emergencies. You need to be aware of corners and whatnot that you may find get in the way when trying to ascertain a threat. However, nothing changes the fact that what you are carrying is a weapon, capable of delivering lethal force.
When you do, you should ensure the house is clear. No human should end up being swept by your firearm, even if you're 100% sure it's unloaded. There's no gain in training for that to happen. If you want, sign up for some force-on-force training with simunitions in a controlled environment.
I feel bad for Mr. Beasley. He killed his wife and from first glance, it appears to be through negligence and not malice. He's more than likely suffering unimaginable pain right now, but if the law is to be followed, it's about to be compounded - his negligence ended the life of someone, and that's not something that can be swept under the rug out of pity.
I hope that, if they find him guilty, that the punishment fits and is no more severe than it needs to be. I hope that his current suffering is taken into consideration. And I sincerely hope that this tragedy at least reminds people or introduces them to the concept of firearm safety.