Inset: Nolan Dain Engel (McCurtain County Sheriff’s Office). Background: The area in Oklahoma where Engel allegedly shot and killed a friend during his bachelor party (Google Maps).
A 22-year-old groom is facing charges after allegedly shooting and killing a friend during his bachelor party held at an Airbnb in Oklahoma.
Nolan Dain Engel was arrested on Saturday and is now charged with second-degree murder following the death of 21-year-old Braden Uhlmann, according to authorities.
The Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation (OSBI) reported that the incident came to their attention shortly before 1 a.m. on April 4. Deputies from the McCurtain County Sheriff’s Office responded to a shooting at a home located on Rockhill Circle in Broken Bow, approximately 240 miles southeast of Oklahoma City.
When they arrived at the scene, first responders found Uhlmann with a gunshot wound to the chest. He was quickly transported to a nearby hospital but sadly succumbed to his injuries and was pronounced dead.
The sheriff’s office promptly enlisted the OSBI for further investigation into the shooting. Agents conducted interviews, including with Engel, who admitted to being present during the incident.
The OSBI stated in their release, “Based on the gathered evidence and information, it was concluded that Engel shot Uhlmann.”
Court documents obtained by Sherman, Texas, ABC affiliate KXII provided additional details surrounding the circumstances of the shooting. According to the report, Engel allegedly made “spontaneous statements to arriving officers regarding himself as the shooter.”
Investigators said Engel told them he had been staying at the cabin with three friends as part of a trip for his bachelor party. While inside the cabin, Engel reportedly claimed he heard “knocking noises” and saw what he believed to be a person’s shadow just outside the cabin’s front door.
In response, Engel allegedly fired a single shot from a 9 mm handgun.
After firing, Engel and another friend went outside, which is where they discovered Uhlmann lying on the front porch suffering from a gunshot wound to the upper chest.
It was not immediately clear whether Uhlmann was armed at the time of the shooting.
OSBI said no other injuries were reported and described the case as an ongoing investigation.
Engel was initially taken into custody and booked into the McCurtain County Jail, but has since been released after posting a $250,000 bond, court records show. He is currently scheduled to make his next appearance in court on April 28.
The OSBI said it is continuing to investigate the circumstances surrounding the shooting, with assistance from the McCurtain County Sheriff’s Office and the Hochatown Police Department.
