Lake Elsinore Felon Charged With Involuntary Manslaughter: Court

LAKE ELSINORE CA — A felon accused of fatally shooting an acquaintance while possibly mishandling a firearm in a Lake Elsinore home was charged Thursday with involuntary manslaughter and other offenses.

George Eddie Steven Thompson of Lake Elsinore was arrested Tuesday following a Riverside County Sheriff's Department investigation at a residence in the 100 block of North Poe Street, near Graham Avenue.

Along with the manslaughter count, Thompson was charged with being a felon in possession of a gun and a sentence-enhancing allegation of using a firearm in the commission of a felony.

The defendant, who is being held in lieu of $1 million bail at the Byrd Detention Center, was slated to make his initial court appearance Thursday afternoon at the Southwest Justice Center in Murrieta.

According to sheriff's Sgt. Lance Stoyer, just after 11 p.m. Monday, there was unspecified activity at the Poe Street property involving Thompson and other parties, among whom was 37-year-old Marcus Bryant of Hemet.

During the encounter, the defendant produced a handgun and allegedly opened fire, hitting Bryant once in the upper body, Stoyer alleged.

The exact circumstances were not disclosed.

The sergeant said witnesses called 911, and patrol deputies converged on the location moments later, along with paramedics.

The victim was pronounced dead at the scene.

Thompson and the other individuals present were detained for questioning, culminating in the defendant being taken into custody without incident in the predawn hours Tuesday.

Thompson has a separate case pending in Riverside County Superior Court for alleged driving under the influence. His prior convictions were in another jurisdiction and not listed in court records.