A Florida man was arrested after accidentally shooting and killing his friend while he was intoxicated by copious amounts of alcohol, authorities say.
Abraham Bordas, 22, stands accused of one count of negligent homicide over the Dec. 30 shooting death of Chase Koepke, 26, according to Marion County records reviewed by Law&Crime.
The gun violence is believed to be entirely inadvertent. Both the victim and alleged killer spoke words of friendship in the final moments.
Bordas and Koepke were drinking together at the victim’s residence on Southwest 146th Avenue Road — a few miles outside the city limits of Dunnellon, a small town in the Ocala metropolitan area — according to an arrest report obtained by Gainesville-based ABC and The CW affiliate WCJB. The defendant allegedly told sheriff’s deputies that he found Koepke’s gun and picked it up to admire the weapon.
“Wow, buddy this is a nice gun,” Bordas allegedly said — while pointing the gun at Koepke.
The owner of the firearm was shot once in the stomach or abdomen, the sheriff’s office said. Bordas then called 911. Koepke was taken to a hospital, where he succumbed to his wound.
The defendant said he did not know the gun was loaded or that the safety was off, according to law enforcement. The alleged shooter also said he did not even realize he had fired the weapon until his wounded friend exclaimed in surprise upon being shot.
“Buddy, you shot me,” Koepke said, according to his friend.
During an initial interview, a detective took stock of the defendant’s glossy, bloodshot eyes and a strong air of alcohol on his breath, according to an arrest report obtained by the Ocala Star Banner.
“I was obviously inebriated at the time,” Bordas allegedly admitted.
The defendant said he and Koepke had been friends for two years, that he was invited to help with painting, and that the two started drinking Twisted Iced Teas. Bordas said he ultimately drank four of the tea-based malt liquors before the fatal shooting accident.
A woman interviewed by law enforcement said she also came over to paint that day. The two men had finished one room and took a break when she arrived, she allegedly said. At the time of the incident, the alleged shooter and victim were laughing and listening to music on the couch — while she was washing dishes in the kitchen.
The woman allegedly went on to say that she saw Koepke stumble off the couch and mention he was shot. She said she tried to stop the bleeding with paper towels, and at some point, Koepke lost consciousness, the paper reported, citing the arrest report.
Bordas allegedly said he had never handled a gun before.
The gun was identified as a 9 mm Canik TP9 SF Elite. A detective reportedly found it lying on a counter in the house. A single spent shell casing was recovered — along with a loaded magazine.
Bordas was arrested on Saturday and released Sunday on $30,000 bond, according to Marion County court records.
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Source: lawandcrime
