A UA student was shot and killed Tuesday afternoon and his longtime friend was arrested in connection with his death after claiming he shot the teenager in self-defense, according to police, family members and a court document.
Police remained tight lipped about what led to the deadly conflict between the friends, but a court document obtained Wednesday says that Joseph Tylutki admitted to shooting Vincent “Vinnie” Bohlman but said it was in self defense.
When officers arrived they found Bohlman dead with a knife in his hand. But a witness who saw the shooting said Bohlman never had a weapon, according to a probable cause statement filed in Pima County Justice Court.
The document also notes that the “knife in hand appeared to be staged” and five baggies of marijuana packaged for sale were found in Tylutki’s room.
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The teenagers, both of whom were 19, were together at a home in the Sam Hughes Neighborhood, east of the University of Arizona, just before 2 p.m. when an argument erupted and shots were fired, said Sgt. Decio Hopffer, a Tucson Police Department spokesman.
When Tucson police arrived they found Bohlman dead inside the home, Hopffer said.
Tylutki called 911 after the deadly confrontation, remained at the scene and was taken into custody without incident, Hopffer said.
He was booked into Pima County jail on suspicion of first-degree murder and a marijuana violation, according to jail records. Tylutki was a resident of the home in the 2400 block East Third Street where the shooting occurred.
He declined a request for an interview from the jail.
Hopffer would not comment on the marijuana violation or release any additional details about the argument. He would not say whether Bohlman was armed or if he had forced entry into the house. Hopffer also would not comment on where Tylutki got the firearm.
Family members on Wednesday were grief stricken over the death of a young man they described as charismatic with a magnetic personality.
They said Tylutki and Bohlman had been friends since kindergarten and both attended Salpointe Catholic High School.
Bohlman and Tylutki graduated in 2006, said Jocelyn Cotter, the executive assistant to the head of schools at Salpointe.
“Our sympathy goes out to both families,” she said, but school officials had no further comment. Bohlman’s aunt, Mary Bohlman, said she had no idea what could have led to the deadly argument between the longtime friends. Vincent Bohlman had likely stopped at Tylutki’s home between classes at the UA.
Though Tylutki was booked into jail on suspicion of a drug charge, Mary Bohlman said as far as she knew, her nephew wasn’t into the drug scene.
“Drugs and alcohol were not his deal,” she said. He was studying at the UA, she said, because he wanted to get a business education.
But like many teenagers Vincent Bohlman did enjoy partying, his longtime friend Cruzz Lanoha, 19, said. Tylutki and Bohlman weren’t very close, but they did keep in touch with one another and Bohlman would stop by and visit him once in a while, he said.
Lanoha said he didn’t know why Bohlman vistied Tylutki on Tuesday.
Lanoha said he knew Vincent Bohlman since childhood and the two became friends after getting in a fight at church and being punished with detention. He described Vincent as a “tough kid” with the “heart of a lion.”
Vincent Bohlman played football at Salpointe and had a wonderful personality that brought him many friends, said Mary Bohlman, who spoke on behalf of Vincent’s mother, Frances Barrientez.
His brother, Christopher Bohlman, also said Vincent had no problem quickly making friends. “He was a great guy, always confident,” he said.
Vincent Bohlman is survived by his mother, Frances Barrientez, 54, his father Mark Bohlman, 55, his younger brother and older sister.
He is also survived by his grandparents as well as several aunts, uncles and cousins.
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