Lexington doctor who shot salesman thought he was handed an unloaded gun, lawyer says
Prosecutors and defense attorneys laid out their cases in a Lexington County court room Wednesday in the trial of a Cayce doctor who is accused of shooting a medical equipment salesman.
Prosecutor Luke Pincelli of the 11th Circuit Solicitor’s Office gave an overview of how the state will try to prove that Adam Lazzarini, a former hip surgeon at Lexington Medical Center, is guilty of involuntary manslaughter in the shooting of William Player Holland.
“I assure to you that this case comes down to the criminally negligent handling of a firearm by Adam Lazzarini,” Pincelli told the jury.
Holland was shot in Lazzarini’s home in October 2017. The Cayce Police Department charged him months later.
Lazzarini’s attorney, Jack Swerling, did not dispute that Holland was shot by Lazzarini’s gun, but said that the shooting happened because of confusion about what gun Holland handed Lazzarini.
“There wasn’t supposed to be a bullet in (the gun),” Swerling said. By the end of the trial, Swerling said, he “fully expects” the jury “will have a reasonable doubt” about the charge of involuntary manslaughter.
The prosecution and defense attorneys presented the case as a battle about whether Lazzarini is guilty of the specific definition of involuntary manslaughter or if reasonable doubt exists to exonerate him of that specific charge.
Swerling gave the jury a timeline of Oct. 9, 2017, the day Holland was shot.
Lazzarini and Holland met up that morning to fly to Columbus, Georgia, to see a new medical operation, Swerling said. They flew back and went to Cantina 76 in Columbia, where they had drinks.
During the day, the two discussed Lazzarini’s gun collection, according to Swerling. Holland, a firearm hobbyist, wanted to see the collection, and the two went back to Lazzarini’s home. They had “a drink or two” while Lazzarini’s wife made dinner, Swerling said.
The two went upstairs to see the guns, according to Swerling. Lazzarini let Holland hold an unloaded .45 caliber pistol. Holland holstered the pistol, drew it and “dry fired” it, meaning he pulled the trigger without the pistol being loaded.
Lazzarini unloaded a .9mm pistol and showed it to Holland, Swerling said. Holland handed the .9 mm pistol back, and Lazzarini reloaded it and set the gun down. Lazzarini left the room to use the bathroom and when he came back, Holland handed over a gun, butt first, according to Swerling.
Sometime during the exchange of the gun, Holland was shot, Swerling said. Lazzarini believed he was getting the unloaded .45 caliber pistol Holland had on his hip. Instead, Holland actually handed over the loaded .9 mm pistol, according to Swerling.
“(Holland) handed back a gun that Dr. Laz had no idea he had in his hand,” Swerling said.
Pincelli, the prosecutor, said in his opening statement that Lazzarini changed his story multiple times and sometimes told the same investigators two different stories about the shooting.
“Some accounts, he wasn’t even in the room when the shooting occurred,” Pincelli said. In other versions Lazzarini was in the room but his back was turned, and in another the pistol was being exchanged between the two.
“Just because something tragic occurred ... does not make it an accident,” Pincelli said.
Witnesses are to include blood splatter experts and a babysitter for the Lazzarini family. A video recording of testimony by Lazzarini’s young daughter will be shown. Evidence will also include the 911 call by Lazzarini’s wife, Vanessa Biery, who died in the home seven months after Holland was shot.
Police did not immediately charge Lazzarini in Holland’s death. But on May 1, 2018, paramedics were called to the home again. They found Biery unresponsive and were unable to revive her. An autopsy by the Lexington County Coroner’s Office into Biery’s death could not determine a cause of death.
While investigating Biery’s death, police said they uncovered evidence that Lazzarini had lied during the investigation into Holland’s shooting. A warrant said that Lazzarini was drunk when he shot Holland.
Lazzarini is also being defended by attorney Greg Harris. Shawn Graham is Pincelli’s partner for the prosecution.
Judge Debra McCaslin is presiding over the case.
This story was originally published February 23, 2022 at 1:10 PM.