By Michael Donoghue, Vermont News First

BRISTOL — An Addison County man is due back in federal court Monday on an illegal gun possession charge that was uncovered during an investigation into a suspicious fatal shooting of a Bristol man last month.

Initial reports indicated Ryan Prim, 26, may have shot himself in the forehead at an apartment at 40 Adirondack View in Bristol about 12:55 a.m. Nov. 28, but the investigation is continuing.

Bristol Rescue rushed Prim to the UVM Medical Center, where he died the following day at 4 p.m., records show.

U.S. Homeland Security Investigations arrested his friend, Daryn Barsalou, 29, of Starksboro for a charge of illegal possession of a firearm while being a convicted felon, federal court records show.

Barsalou has criminal records in Vermont and New York that go back to 2014 and 2015 respectfully and includes a felony conviction for obstructing justice Feb. 27, 2017, records show. He was sentenced in Vermont Superior Court to 1-to-5 years in prison, records show.

Barsalou was one of two known people to claim they witnessed the Bristol shooting, HSI said. The other listed person was Prim’s girlfriend, who was identified in court papers only as “C.T.”

Barsalou had appeared briefly in U.S. District Court on the gun charge last Wednesday. The government’s motion seeking detention pending trial was postponed until a hearing on Monday. Prosecutors maintain Barsalou is a risk to flee and a danger to the community if released, court papers note.

Federal Magistrate Kevin Doyle ordered Barsalou held until the hearing.

The joint federal and local investigation has now expanded into suspicions of Barsalou being involved in the unlawful possession or concealment of stolen firearms, federal court records show.

HSI obtained a federal search warrant for a residence at 104 Shamrock Drive, off Vermont 116 in Starksboro, where Barsalou lived.

HSI, Bristol, state and Hinesburg Police, along with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms executed the warrant at the brown raised ranch-style home on Friday for about three hours and seized more firearms. The yard is filled with old vehicles, wood, trailers and old campers, HSI said.

Investigators said Barsalou claimed after the shooting that he and Prim would routinely dry-fire their handguns at each other by aiming for each other’s heart. Both men had made sure the guns were unloaded and they never aimed at heads, Barsalou told investigators

On the night of the shooting, Prim reportedly said he was leaving the residence when Barsalou called him into his bedroom, police said. Barsalou said he picked up the firearm off a table in the living room and carried it into the bedroom, authorities said. Barsalou maintains he told Prim the gun was still loaded, HSI said in court papers.

Barsalou said Prim put the handgun to his forehead and pulled the trigger while his girlfriend and Barsalou were present, HSI Special Agent Josh Otey wrote.

Dr. Elizabeth A. Bundock, Vermont’s chief medical examiner, ruled the manner of death and how the gunshot injury occurred as both pending further investigation.

Bristol Police Officer Francis Smith, one of the first persons to arrive, said he found a critically injured unresponsive man in the bedroom. Smith recovered a black Ruger .22 caliber pistol from the dresser in the bedroom and still had five rounds in the magazine, Otey said.

Before following the ambulance to the Burlington hospital to check on their friend, Barsalou and “C.T.” remained behind at the residence long enough to cook some crack cocaine, court records show.

During a subsequent federal search at the residence on Dec. 3 investigators recovered a silver-colored metal ladle used to make the crack cocaine, Otey wrote.

The ladle was found hanging off the TV at the residence and had traces of a white crystal-like substance that field tested positive for crack cocaine, Otey said.

Also recovered were three rifles and a 12-gauge shotgun, Otey said. Investigators also located boxes for firearms, including the handgun found earlier during the traffic stop in Bristol, records note.

One other firearm has not been recovered and is believed to have been unlawfully removed from Prim’s residence, Otey said.

Two other unidentified witnesses said they had been dropped at the Bristol apartment shortly after the shooting, and they hoped to get a ride to the Burlington hospital, but had to wait for Prim’s girlfriend and Barsalou to finish cooking the crack cocaine, Otey said in an affidavit.

One witness also reported seeing Prim’s girlfriend take a large quantity of cash out of his wallet and put it into either a bag or wallet belonging to the girlfriend “C.T.,” Otey said. The girlfriend also put drugs and other paraphernalia into the bag, he wrote. The witness was aware that “C.T.” stored drugs and money in the glove box of her car, Otey said.

Before leaving for the Burlington hospital, one witness saw Barsalou move multiple guns from the apartment into a car, records show.

Barsalou, the girlfriend and the two witnesses made it to the UVM Medical Center and on the way back home had to stop on Spear Street in South Burlington due to a problem with a tire about 5:05 p.m., records show.

The white Mercedes Benz was in a parking lot for the Aiken Forestry Sciences at 705 Spear Street near the Interstate 189 when police stopped to check it. UVM Police Sgt Thomas Nash said Barsalou reported a friend was coming from Starksboro to help with the flat tire.

After UVM Police left, one witness said Barsalou opened the trunk and displayed multiple firearms, including an “AR-15, 303-30, a 12-gauge shotgun and four different pistols of some sort.”

The group all eventually made it back to Addison County.

Bristol Police made a motor vehicle stop on the evening of Dec. 3 and found “C.T.” at the wheel and Barsalou as a passenger, Otey said. Barsalou was arrested on a federal warrant obtained by HSI for being a felon with a gun, records show.

During a search of the car, investigators also found a 43 X 9-mm pistol between the center console and the front passenger seat where Barsalou was sitting. The Glock was loaded with 9 rounds and investigators found throughout the vehicle drug residue that tested positive for crack cocaine, Otey said.

They also located about $3,000 in cash in a bag labeled with the words, “All My (Expletive) Drugs” in the glove box, HSI said.

The investigation showed the guns that were taken out of the apartment and put into the trunk of the car were later provided to the people who came to help with the flat tire in South Burlington, Otey said.

Police said they also learned a second batch of guns from the apartment in Bristol were taken to the residence where Barsalou was staying in Starksboro.

Among those living at the Starksboro residence were Kenny Bell and Natalie Heustis, Otey said. He said he had contact with both of them in October, but did not say the mature of the investigation.

HSI, which investigates over 400 federal crimes, was asked to join the investigation because it involved drugs and guns and Otey used to work for Bristol Police.

Otey said in court papers he was aware of some of the participants in the case before the shooting.

Barsalou, while discussing dry firing with Bristol Police, maintained “We’ve done this for years,” court records show. Barsalou said he was an addict, but not under the influence at the time, Otey reported.

Barsalou told police his fingerprints would be on the fatal gun because he had carried it into the bedroom, police said.

During a subsequent visit to the residence on Nov. 29 by Bristol Police Sgt. Andrew Graham, Barsalou turned over two long rifles that were believed owned by Prim, records show.

Barsalou is also known as “Daryn Traver (Duke the Dawg) on a Facebook Page and he offered comments about the shooting on it, police said.