Apr. 8—A local man has pleaded not guilty to a charge of manslaughter in connection with the fatal shooting of a Greenville woman in November.

Frankie Jay Lopez, 18, of Greenville was indicted on the charge in February by the Hunt County grand jury.

Lopez entered the plea during a Thursday morning arraignment hearing in the 354th District Court.

Judge Keli Aiken scheduled a May 17 hearing to receive discovery evidence in the case.

Lopez was taken into custody after a rifle he was handling went off and killed a 17-year-old Greenville woman, police allege.

Bethany Ann England was shot late the night of Nov. 22, 2022.

A police investigation revealed that Lopez was at a residence in the 2100 block of Henry Street and allegedly had been handling a rifle in the same room with England.

Lopez pulled the rifle's trigger, thinking the gun was unloaded, according to police. The rifle discharged, and a round struck England, causing her death.

Lopez remained in custody Thursday at the Hunt County Detention Center in lieu of $125,000 bond.

Manslaughter is a second-degree felony punishable by a maximum sentence of from two to 20 years in prison.