What one young man reportedly thought was a harmless joke with a handgun has left a Durham family grieving and searching for answers.
Relatives of 20-year-old Jeremiah Bell have called his death “senseless” after investigators said a friend pulled the trigger as a joke, not realizing there was still a round in the chamber. Bell was shot on Jan. 18 in the parking lot of a Durham apartment complex and later died, his family told local reporters.
Durham police have arrested 19-year-old Ke’Mari Thompson, who is charged with voluntary manslaughter in connection with the shooting. Family members described Bell as an aspiring rapper who juggled early-morning stocking shifts at UNC with work at a Zaxby’s on North Roxboro Street.
Autopsy records describe a single shot fired ‘as a joke’
An investigative autopsy and related documents state that Bell was struck once in the left upper arm, with the bullet exiting, then re-entering his chest and causing fatal injuries to his lungs and heart, according to Yahoo News, which cited excerpts released to The News & Observer. The records say an unnamed friend told investigators he removed the magazine from a handgun and fired at Bell “as a joke,” unaware that a round was still in the chamber. Those autopsy excerpts and investigative notes outline the bullet’s path and help explain the medical examiner’s findings…