Elijah Farral, a 20-year old Columbus, Georgia man and two friends were playing with a loaded handgun when he accidentally pulled the trigger according to police testimony. He accidentally shot and killed Sara Holtrop, age 18, who was sleeping nearby on a couch.  Farral has been charged with involuntary manslaughter.

“Sara was an extremely sweet girl,” said Holtrop’s friend Chloe Smith. “She was loved by a lot of people. She was very outgoing. She was just a super wholesome and beautiful human being that I’m very devastated to know we lost. I feel a load of emotions. I’m definitely infuriated just to know things like this are happening with no sense involved at all.”

“I’m not predicting, but if it goes at the rate it’s been going, we’ll hit the 50 homicide mark or more,” the county coroner said. “This family was getting ready for her graduation from school. You know it’s just a bad, sad thing.”

Sources:

Tim Chitwood, “18-year-old Hamilton Woman Killed in Overnight Shooting in Columbus, Authorities Say,” Ledger-Enquirer (February 11, 2020).

James Giles, “18-year-old Woman Shot and Killed in Accidental Shooting on Carmel Dr. in Columbus” WTVM (February 11, 2020).