On April 14, 2019, in Syracuse, New York, 22-year-old Sarah Ann Tombs died of a single gunshot wound in the apartment she shared with her boyfriend. The shooting occurred while her boyfriend, 24-year-old Darien Shellman, said he was loading a handgun that Tombs used for her work as a security guard at the Destiny USA mall; Shellman reported the gun discharged accidentally, fatally wounding her.

Shellman, a Navy veteran with no prior criminal record, called 911, remained at the scene and cooperated with officers. He was arrested and charged with second-degree manslaughter, a charge alleging reckless conduct rather than intent. Because he was not accused of a violent felony and had no criminal history, the judge released him on pretrial supervision under New York’s bail reform rules.