Daniel J. Smith, 31, of Trumbauersville Borough, Pennsylvania, died on March 31, 2018, after a shooting in Muhlenberg Township, Berks County. He worked as a full-time paramedic with Plymouth Community Ambulance Association since 2016 and served as a Bucks County constable. Authorities described the incident as an accidental shooting and said police were investigating.

According to reports, Smith had been helping a friend move with Daniel Ryan Brymer. The men were reportedly fooling around with an airsoft gun during the move; court-document-based reporting says Smith shot Brymer twice with the airsoft gun and then handed it to him. Brymer placed the airsoft gun in a front pocket near a real 9 mm handgun Smith had asked him to hold. Outside on the lawn, Brymer reached for what he thought was the airsoft gun, instead grabbed the real handgun and fired, striking Smith in the back. Smith was taken to Reading Hospital and pronounced dead.

Brymer was arrested and charged with involuntary manslaughter and aggravated assault, arraigned the next morning, and released on $100,000 unsecured bail. The Berks County District Attorney called the shooting a tragic accident and a senseless, reckless use of a firearm. Smith’s colleagues described him as an outstanding, dedicated paramedic who made people laugh.

Did anyone who knew Daniel or was present that day notice how the firearms were being handled before they were placed in pockets?