SUMNER COUNTY, Tenn. (WTVF) — A Sumner County jury convicted Trevor Ethan Choate on Wednesday of reckless homicide in the shooting death of 19-year-old Austin Dill.
The verdict followed a three-day trial in Sumner County Criminal Court, according to District Attorney General Thomas Dean’s office.
Prosecutors said Choate was handling a firearm recklessly at a Portland home on Feb. 22, 2025, when he fired a handgun. The bullet struck Austin in the midsection.
Austin was airlifted to TriStar Skyline Medical Center, where he received multiple blood transfusions. He died the following morning.
During the trial, Assistant District Attorneys Nicole Furtado and Eli Freeman presented evidence that Choate’s actions were similar to a pattern of reckless behavior involving firearms in the weeks before the shooting.
Choate is scheduled to be sentenced by Judge Nichols on Aug. 10. He faces up to four years in prison. The district attorney’s office said Tennessee law would make him ineligible for parole or early release if he is ordered to serve time in prison.
Choate also faces a separate charge of aggravated child abuse, neglect or endangerment involving a child 8 years old or younger. That case remains pending.
NewsChannel 5 previously spoke with Austin’s mother, Ginny Dill, as she worked to honor her son through community blood drives. Dill said the donated blood Austin received allowed her to have precious final moments with him.
The Dill family and Portland Police Department are holding a “Pack-a-Cruiser” food drive in Austin’s memory from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, July 18, at the police department, located at 433 N. Broadway. Donations will benefit Hands of Hope Food Pantry.
The district attorney’s office offered condolences to Austin’s family and credited the Portland Police Department, including Detective Ty Wilson, for its investigation.
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