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SEVIERVILLE -- Sheriff’s deputies have charged a Sevier County man with second-degree murder after a woman he allegedly shot died on the way to University of Tennessee Medical Center.

Leah V. Avril, 18, of 856 Robert Henderson Road in Sevierville, was pronounced dead at UT Medical Center after medical personnel airlifted her to the facility Tuesday night. She was reportedly conscious when emergency medical technicians reached her at 160 Murrell Meadows Apt. 21, but lost consciousness before reaching the helicopter. The apartments are located on Newport Highway near Highway 339.

Sheriff Ron Seals said Avril suffered a gunshot wound to the chest.

It took about nine minutes for deputies to arrive at the scene after the first call came in at 5:52 p.m., Seals said.

Deputies charged Jacob A. Stanton, 21, with second-degree murder. He was being held today at the Sevier County Jail.

While a press release from the sheriff’s department said Stanton lived at the same address where the shooting occurred, people at the apartment complex today told The Mountain Press that neither Stanton nor Avril actually resided there. The resident of the apartment was not home at the time of the shooting, they said.

Some people at the complex said they had heard that the shooting was accidental.

“I heard they were a couple, and I heard it was an accident,” said Alex Martin, who said he had moved to the area only recently.

When asked about the possibility the shooting was unintentional, Seals declined to comment beyond saying an autopsy was being performed and the investigation was continuing.

Martin said the shooting is not indicative of life in the apartment complex.

“I don’t think it should say anything about the people that live here or the management,” he said. “No matter where you live in the world, you’re going to have situations like this happen.”