Manchester Man Faces Indictment On Manslaughter And Reckless Conduct

MANCHESTER, NH — A Manchester man accused of fatally shooting his girlfriend in an apartment building on Amherst Street in December 2023 has been indicted on manslaughter charges.

Tyler Cook, 26, according to the indictment for manslaughter, recklessly caused the death of Sophia Bonfiglio after firing a handgun that fatally wounded her on New Year’s Eve.

He was also indicted on a second charge of reckless conduct with a deadly weapon for the discharge of the firearm inside the apartment where he and the victim lived.

On the day of the shooting, police responded to the reported shooting and found Bonfiglio suffering from a gunshot wound to the torso. She was transported to the Elliot Hospital by Manchester firefighters and AMR Ambulance, where she died a short time later.

The Office of the New Hampshire Chief Medical Examiner performed an autopsy and determined she died of a gunshot wound to the torso, and the manner of death was a homicide.

At the arraignment in January, relatives told reporters that the couple had been preparing to move to Cape Cod so that she could attend nursing school.

Sources have indicated the firearm accidentally went off. However, the affidavit remains sealed, and the media has been prevented from attending bail hearings. The next court date is scheduled for the end of April.

The Manchester Police Department investigated the incident, and the charges are being prosecuted by the Hillsborough County Attorney's Office. Cook faces up to 37 years in state prison if found guilty of both charges he is accused of.

©Jeffrey Hastings www.frameofmindphoto.com/news