Nick Van Exel's Son Is Free On Bail

Two days after being arrested for murder in Dallas, Nickey Maxwell Van Exel is a free man whose lawyer claims murder is a harsh term for "horseplay." Bail was originally $1 million; NMVE only had to post $25,000.

Van Exel's attorney Paul Johnson claims his client told police he shot Eyo, a longtime friend and neighbor, while the two were engaged in "horseplay" with a shotgun. He said Van Exel didn't know the gun, which belonged to his stepfather, was loaded.

After the shooting, Van Exel "panicked" and moved the body. He also tossed the gun in a creek, and it has yet to be found, Johnson said.

"It's a real sad situation," he said. "Emotions are running high, and, obviously, we recognize that some very bad decisions were made on how he responded." [ FoxDFW]