Florida Man Accused of Killing Best Friend After Argument Over Vaping Inside House

 GULFPORT, FLORIDA — Just weeks after a Florida man was charged after a road rage shooting at a family’s car, another Florida gun case has left one man dead and another behind bars. This time, police say a 28-year-old man killed his best friend after an argument that may have started over vaping inside the house.

Elisha Christopher Landry is charged with second-degree murder in the death of his roommate and best friend, 34-year-old Shaun Allen Hennigh. Police say Hennigh was shot in the back of the head on April 17 at a home on Tangerine Avenue South in Gulfport.

911 Call Came Hours After Gunshot

According to police, Landry called 911 at about 5:04 a.m. and told the dispatcher that his best friend had been shot in the garage.

When the dispatcher asked if Hennigh had shot himself, Landry reportedly said he was not sure. He also claimed he had been sitting with the body for about 30 minutes.

Investigators later said that timeline did not match what neighbors reported. A neighbor told police they heard a single gunshot and a car alarm at about 12:32 a.m., more than four hours before Landry called for help.

When officers arrived, they found Landry standing in the road and repeating that his friend was “in the back.” Police found Hennigh’s body on the garage floor. He was already cold to the touch, and rigor mortis had started.

Police Say Story Changed

Police said Landry gave different explanations about what happened.

At first, he allegedly said Hennigh came home upset and the two went to the garage to smoke a cigarette. Later, he claimed they were “play-fighting” near the driveway when the gun went off.

Landry allegedly said Hennigh grabbed a 9 mm handgun from his waistband while they were acting silly. But moments later, police said, he changed his story and said Hennigh did not grab the gun from his holster.

During a later interview at the police station, Landry reportedly told detectives he could not explain how the gun fired.

Evidence Suggested Body Was Moved

Investigators said the evidence did not support Landry’s claim that the shooting happened during a harmless struggle.

Police found blood outside near the driveway and on an outdoor bench. They also found a pool of partly dried blood under a package delivery box. Inside the garage, investigators saw blood smears that they said were consistent with a body being dragged from outside into the garage.

Police also said there was very little blood on Landry’s jeans, even though he claimed he held Hennigh after the shooting. Investigators said Landry admitted he put blue jeans over the shorts he had been wearing before officers arrived.

Argument May Have Started Over Vaping

Landry’s girlfriend told police the argument began upstairs after Landry became angry because Hennigh was vaping inside the house.

She said the two men argued, and Hennigh went downstairs to the garage. Landry then told her he was going downstairs to check on him. Police say Landry had a 9 mm handgun in his waistband at the time.

Investigators also found text messages showing the roommates had argued before about money. In January, Landry had reportedly kicked Hennigh out of the house because he was not consistent with paying his part of the bills.

Autopsy Ruled Death a Homicide

An autopsy found that Hennigh died from a single gunshot wound to the back of the head. The medical examiner ruled the death a homicide.

Police also noted that Landry’s mother, a licensed travel nurse, was inside the home during the hours between the gunshot and the 911 call. Investigators said Landry did not wake her or ask her to help Hennigh.

Landry is now being held at the Pinellas County Jail without bond. It is not yet clear when he will appear in court next.

To view more cases involving deadly arguments, shootings, and violent disputes caught in police investigations, check out our video here: