Man: Shooting That Killed Friend, 18, Was Accident

A 21-year-old man awaiting arraignment on a criminal homicide charge has told police he accidentally shot an 18-year-old friend at a suburban Pittsburgh house party as they were looking at guns previously stolen from the suspect's house.

Penn Hills police returned the guns to the suspect, Damien Franklin, on Wednesday, mere hours before the shooting that left Nathan Hurrell dead.

Police say Hurrell pointed one of the rifles at Franklin and asked him what he'd do if someone pointed it at his face. Police say that's when Franklin told them he lifted another gun onto the side of a hot tub to see if it was loaded, only to have it fire when he pulled back its slide.

Franklin apologized to Hurrell's family as he was taken into custody late Thursday morning.

Copyright AP - Associated Press
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