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Police: man charged with homicide after shooting friend in face

PENN TOWNSHIP, LANCASTER, Pa. —  A Lancaster County man is facing a number of charges, including murder, after police say he shot his friend in the face M...

PENN TOWNSHIP, LANCASTER, Pa. --  A Lancaster County man is facing a number of charges, including murder, after police say he shot his friend in the face Monday night in Penn Township. The victim died late last night at the hospital.

The Lancaster County District Attorney tells FOX43 this is a very unusual case. There was no struggle and no major incidents leading up to the shooting.

It happened on South Main Street.

Authorities say a man shot his friend in the eye, and there's no clear reason why.

"I mean, it really does stand out for the fact nothing happens. Usually something happens that sparks some retaliation or anger or motive, and we're not really seeing that in this place, case," said Craig Stedman, the Lancaster County District Attorney.

Stedman said Shawn Bergman, 23, shot Chris Levy, 19, Monday night

Police say he stole his stepfather's handgun.

"You know the tragedy is he used a firearm on his friend's head, and now, we have one person dead and one person in jail, looking at significant time in jail, if not his entire life," said Stedman.

Witnesses told police they believed both Bergman and Levy hadn't slept for days and were using methamphetamine at the time.

Court documents state one witness told police Bergman said, 'Did I just shoot my friend?'

"It should never had happened. It's real sad, bad news. A mother lost her child, a father lost his child," said David Westly, a neighbor.

A neighbor who didn't wish to speak on camera says the whole thing is pretty shocking.

"It's scary because we haven't had this around here," he said. "Especially with what I read, that it could've been meth, or something like that. We moved out of the city to get away from that kind of stuff."

Authorities are also trying to wrap their heads around it.

"It's horrible all around. Everyone loses," said Stedman.

What is making this case more challenging for police is Bergman was not arrested right away, so they couldn't get an immediate blood test to find out if meth was in his system. They're now relying on witnesses to figure out the role drugs may have played in the killing.

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