Teenager trying to fix girl’s jammed gun ‘accidentally shot her to death’
A teenager fatally shot his friend in the head while trying to fix her jammed pistol as they met in a backyard for target practice, it is claimed. Candace Chrzan, 17, tragically lost her life in the freak accident in Mount Zion, Georgia, on March 30, and the accused shooter, also aged 17, has been charged with involuntary manslaughter.
Police say the incident was a ‘horrible accident’ that happened when high school senior, Candace, met up with three other friends to shoot targets, and she handed her gun to a friend when it stopped working.
But the .22 pistol went off as the unnamed friend tried to fix it, and a bullet hit Candace in the head, according to Carroll County Sheriff’s Office spokesperson Ashley Hulsey.
She said: ‘At some point, Candace did have possession of a pistol that they were using for target practicing. The gun jammed’.
The shooter, who turned himself in, is among the two people officials arrested on April 2 in connection with the incident. He was charged with involuntary manslaughter, reckless conduct and possession of a firearm under the age of 18.
A second teenager, aged 18, who allegedly made public threats on Snapchat to kill the teen involved in the shooting accident, is facing a felony charge of making terroristic threats, reports 11alive.com. He is believed to be a close friend of the victim.
Hulsey added: ‘When investigators arrived on-scene, he was physically and visibly distraught and upset.
‘He did try to render aid to her unsuccessfully. So, his life is changed forever because he took another life, and he’ll never be able to take that back’.
A close family friend, of Candace, Tiffany Cantrell, added that her passing will leave a hole in the lives of everyone who knew her. She said her friend loved playing the clarinet for the Mount Zion High School marching band.
Tiffany said: ‘I don’t think the family will ever realize what an impression this beautiful young lady made on this community and how bad we’re all hurting.
‘Candace was (trained) in martial arts and Candace was also very trained in gun safety.
‘Her grandfather, being a very protective grandfather, has taught Candace how to take care of herself in any means necessary. So that’s why some of the story of the gun jamming is really not making sense.
‘It’s a heartbreaking situation and it’s going to be hard, but I hope that everyone in some kind of way can find some forgiveness in their heart no matter what.
‘That family has to understand that our side of the situation, with Candace’s family, they have a permanent loss. That young man’s family has a temporary separation’.
Authorities said the shooting is a reminder of the importance of gun safety.
Tiffany added that she will be speaking at a service for Candace at the high school on Wednesday.
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