A Clearwater man has been charged with second-degree murder in the shooting death of his live-in girlfriend that occurred at their home in the Countryside area of Clearwater.

Josephine Austria was shot about 1 a.m. Sunday at a home on the 2300 block of Hillcreek Circle E, which is between U.S. 19 and McMullen Booth Road just south of Enterprise Road. She was pronounced dead at a hospital later, Clearwater police said.

Authorities arrested 24-year-old Alex Richardson, Austria's boyfriend, on second-degree murder charges.

"She is young," said neighbor Cathy Rice. "This shouldn't happen to anybody, it just shouldn't."

Richardson, who lived at the residence with Austria, was also charged with using a firearm while under the influence of alcoholic beverages.

According to reports, after the shooting Richardson ran to a convenience store on McMullen Booth Road and told the clerk he had shot his girlfriend. He told initial responders the same thing when he returned to the scene, officials said.

"It's very unsettling," said Rice. "I'm tryin to fix Easter dinner and I'm just very upset."

Austria and Richardson were hosting a birthday party for a friend at the time.

Police said while a few guests were still at the house, Richardson emerged from the bathroom and said that Austria was bleeding and she needed help. It was then he ran from the scene and ended up at the convenience store, they said.

The guest at the party who found Austria noticed she was unresponsive and bleeding from the head. That person then called 911 as well.

Richardson was booked into the Pinellas County Jail this afternoon.