Virginia man fatally shoots his best friend after mistaking him for an intruder, cops say

A tragic accidental shooting has left a Virginia man dead and his best friend in jail.

On June 8 just before 11 p.m., Jonathan Hankins, 37, went to the Dinwiddie County home of his friend, Matthew Allen Sharpf, and knocked.

Sharpf, who had been sleeping, went to see where the noise was coming from.

According to the Dinwiddie County Sheriff’s Office, Sharpf thought Hankins was an intruder and accidentally shot him dead on the porch, Richmond’s WRIC-TV reported.

Sharpf’s wife called 911 for help.

Authorities said the shooting was a “bad situation.”

“The case remains under investigation and further details of this incident are not available at this time,” Maj. William Knott of the Dinwiddie Sheriff’s Office noted.

Deputies took Sharpf into custody and he now faces a charge of voluntary manslaughter.