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St. John says gun went off accidentally

LOCK HAVEN – Brian St. John III, 19, admitted to police that he was holding the Taurus Judge revolver and fired the shot that killed his friend Jakob L. Haines, 21, of Beech Creek. But the defendant also said they “were messing around with the gun when it went off,” according to the criminal complaint filed by state police at Lamar.

The complaint provides more details in the fatal shooting of Haines last Friday night during a gathering at the St. John resident at 330 Brewery Hollow Road.

Haines suffered a fatal gunshot wound to the center of his chest and was pronounced dead at the scene by Clinton County Coroner Zach Hanna, who said the cause of death was “a close contact gunshot would to the chest” and the manner of death was homicide.

St. John has been charged with criminal homicide, aggravated assault and recklessly endangering another person. He is being held in the Clinton County Correctional Facility without bail.

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