Wayne Favors saw his across-the-street neighbor Chance Z. Paap at about 1 a.m. Tuesday, putting something in the brown car he often struggled to keep running.

There wasn't anything particularly notable about the brief encounter, Favors said Tuesday night as police gathered evidence of a shooting death from inside Paap's home.

But Tuesday's events left Favors and other neighbors wondering what happened inside 1431 S. 28th St. on Saturday, when police believe Paap's mishandling of a handgun led to a man's death.

And they were also left to wonder what Paap, 23, was thinking in the days that followed the shooting, when police believe he left Nebraska, only to return and contact police Tuesday morning with information about a 28-year-old man reported missing Saturday.

After speaking with Paap, police found the man's body in a closet at Paap's house late Tuesday morning. He had been shot.

Police then arrested Paap, described as a friend of the victim's, on suspicion of manslaughter.

The victim's name and many other details about the investigation weren't released Tuesday.

Lincoln Police Officer Katie Flood said police believe the man died early Saturday as the result of Paap "negligently handling a handgun."

Flood said police think that after the man died, Paap panicked and left the state. She did not say where he went.

"I'm glad he did come back and face up to it," said Melba Favors, Wayne's wife.

Neither of them said they heard any suspicious noises on Saturday.

Zakk Call, who lives in an apartment building on 27th and A streets, said he heard what sounded like a tire popping on Saturday morning; he wondered Tuesday if instead that was a gun going off inside the house.

"I think it's crazy," he said. "I can't believe something like that happened here."

He called Paap an acquaintance, a neighbor. Call described playing cards there a few times. He'd had a few drinks with Paap and others on the front porch that on Tuesday was dotted with bottles and cups and cordoned off with yellow police tape.

He called Paap a "pretty decent guy" and said he had never seen a gun at the house during his few nights there.

Paap, a 2005 graduate of Lincoln East High School, has had several run-ins with local law enforcement involving misdemeanor offenses such as driving while suspended and driving under the influence of alcohol. None has involved a firearm.

Paap is scheduled to appear in Lancaster County Court on Thursday on unrelated misdemeanor charges of possession of marijuana, 1 ounce or less, and possession of drug paraphernalia.

Reach Cory Matteson at 473-7438 or cmatteson@journalstar.com.