This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2012, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
A 42-year-old Bluffdale man has been charged with negligent homicide after police say he handed his intoxicated wife a gun, and she shot herself.
Shawn Robert Langford was charged in 3rd District Court Thursday with the Class A misdemeanor. Prosecutors also included an alternative charge of reckless endangerment, also a Class A misdemeanor.
According to police, Langford was in his home with his wife, Rashell Langford, on September 5, 2011. Langford told police that he had recent problems with the bolt of his rifle sticking, so he got the gun out to work the action. He told police he placed a bullet in the chamber, and was working the bolt to loosen it up.
His wife, who police say was intoxicated on alcohol and drugs, asked to see the rifle, and Langford handed it to her. She placed the barrel of the gun in her mouth, according to police, and pulled the trigger. She died at the home.
Langford's initial appearance in court is scheduled for late August.
Jessica Miller