A young man in Michigan turned a gun on himself and took his own life after he realized he had accidentally shot and killed his best friend.
WJRT reports that Zachary Woodcock, 20, hosted a gathering to celebrate his upcoming birthday at Bavarian Haus Apartments in Merrill on Friday night. At some point, after Woodcock and his guests had been drinking, he went into his bedroom and game out with a handgun.
“I heard the gun pop off,” a witness who did not want to be identified told the news station
“I heard yelling and screaming and I came down to see if I could assist anybody.”
After Woodcock retrieved the gun, he reportedly accidentally fired it, hitting 21-year-old Richard Skillman in the chest.
“From what I heard, they were best of friends,” Saginaw County Sheriff’s Lt. Mike Gomez told WJRT.
Skillman was reportedly given medical attention on the scene, but did not survive the shooting.
While guests were still in his home, a distraught Woodock reportedly went outside the apartment building with a gun, and shot and killed himself.
Police told the news station that both men were gun enthusiasts and owned multiple firearms.
“Anytime there is alcohol involved and guns, that is a bad mix and almost nothing good is ever going to come of it,” Gomez said.
[Feature image: Facebook/Richard Skillman; Zachary Woodcock]
