Pocono News Section

Eyewitness to Deadly Shooting Speaks Out

Eyewitness to Deadly Shooting Speaks Out - Monday, September 15, 2008 at 5:21PM EST

Reported by: Eric Deabill
Monday, Sep 15, 2008 @ 05:21pm EST
CENTER TOWNSHIP, SYNDER COUNTY - As state police in Synder County continue to investigate the shooting death of 22-year-old David Vazquez, the only eyewitness is speaking out.

Kathleen Day, 39, says the shooting was nothing but a tragic accident. She says Vazquez was shot and killed inside her home on Salem Church Road in Center Township early Saturday morning. Day says Vazquez was a talented musician who cherished his guitar.

"He was a young musician from New York, enthralled with the different things that Synder County had to offer," Kay said standing outside her home.

Investigators say Vazquez was shot once in the back while inside that home. Day says they were both upstairs, getting a gun to shoot groundhogs when a gun accidentally went off.

"The gun was loaded. It ended up going off on the way through the home and he was shot by accident," Day said.

When asked how the gun accidentally went off, Day was a little unclear. "I'm not even clear on that right now," she said.

Neighbors who live on the street declined to talk on camera with Eyewitness News, but they say the people who went in-and-out of the home mostly kept to themselves. Neighbors say their biggest complaints involved too much noise.

Day says the victim of the deadly shooting grew up in Puerto Rico and New York City. He recently became homeless and spent the last two weeks living with her.

"Its tragic and somewhere, this kid's death can't be for nothing. Somebody's got to learn something from this, how quick it can happen," Day said.

The Synder County District Attorney and state police are still investigating the deadly shooting. They won't rule out charges against Kathleen Day in the near future. Right now, she says that concern is far from her mind.

"That young man had many years ahead of him and if I could trade places, I gladly would," Day said.

An autopsy was done on Vazquez Monday afternoon. The district attorney says while the manner of death is officially listed as undetermined, the deadly shooting appears to be accidental.