Man fooling around with gun shoots woman in buttocks

By Eric Poole, Calkins Media

Published: Thursday, January 8, 2009 10:41 PM EST

NEW CASTLE — A 21-year-old man is accused of shooting a New Castle woman 
Wednesday in a Russian-roulette-type incident.

Tyler Lloyd Culver-McMillan was charged Thursday in the shooting of Nicole Duddy 
at her home, 1148 Crestview Gardens, around 6 p.m. Wednesday. Culver-McMillan 
has no known address, according to New Castle police.

Officers were called to Duddy’s home immediately after the shooting. Police said 
she was bleeding from her left buttock and complaining of abdominal pain.

Duddy told police an unknown man had come into her home and tried to rape her 
before shooting her. Based on the description she gave, police apprehended a man 
who said he was Dajuan Walker.

But Duddy later told police the attempted-rape report was false and that she had 
been in her apartment with two men, Culver-McMillan and a second man who was not 
charged, when Culver-McMillan began playing with a revolver.

Duddy said she told him to put the gun away because she was concerned about her 
safety and that of her son, who also was in the apartment.

Police said Culver-McMillan then unloaded all but one chamber of the revolver, 
spinning the chambers Russian-roulette style, and put the gun to Duddy’s left 
buttock before pulling the trigger. The gun fired, injuring Duddy, and 
Culver-McMillan and the other man ran off, police said.

Duddy said she made up the rape story because she feared reprisals from 
Culver-McMillan’s family, police said.

Police questioned the man who claimed to be Dajuan Walker, and he admitted that 
he was Culver-McMillan. He was then arrested.

Duddy was taken to St. Elizabeth Health Center in Youngstown, Ohio. WPXI-TV 
(Channel 11) reported Thursday that Duddy was in critical but stable condition, 
but a spokeswoman for St. Elizabeth had no information.

Culver-McMillan has been charged with aggravated assault, illegal firearm 
possession, carrying a firearm without a license, reckless endangerment, simple 
assault and harassment. He was placed in the Lawrence County Jail on $250,000 
bond.