Man tells police before he died: ‘My friend shot me, and it was an accident’

A man is facing a manslaughter charge after police say he accidentally shot and killed his friend Tuesday.

Before being taken to the hospital where he died, the unidentified victim, according to Miami Beach police, told officers the shooting was an accident.

Derek Jacob, 27, was being held Tuesday night in Miami-Dade’s Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center on a $7,500 bond.

According to Jacob’s police report, officers responded to an apartment at 301 Michigan Ave. after Jacob called to report a shooting at about 2:30 a.m.

“The victim, who was coherent at the time, told [the officer] he didn’t shoot himself,” an officer wrote in the report.

The victim then said: “My friend did it, and it was an accident,” according to the report.

Police say Jacob “spontaneously” said the shooting was an accident and he didn’t know the gun was loaded.

According to the report, the victim said: “My friend shot me, and it was an accident while cleaning his gun.”

The victim, who was shot in the chest, was taken to Jackson Memorial Hospital Ryder Trauma Center, where he died.

Police are using the shooting to stress the importance of gun safety.

“An important reminder for all who handle a firearm is to always assume the firearm is loaded and to keep their finger off the trigger,” the department said in an email. “Incidents like these are 100 percent preventable.”

This story was originally published March 13, 2018 at 11:31 PM with the headline "Man tells police before he died: ‘My friend shot me, and it was an accident’."