Man showing off gun is charged in shooting death

A Philadelphia man showing off what he thought was an unloaded gun the day before he was to start a job as a security guard accidentally shot a friend in the face and killed her, police said.

Sandrea Smith, 35, of the 2900 block of North 26th Street, was shot once in the left cheek and died at the scene, according to police. The shooting occurred about 2:30 p.m. Saturday.

The incident happened in a bedroom of a home in the 2100 block of East Somerset Street in Kensington. Robert Jones, 36, who resides at the address, was charged with third-degree murder, involuntary manslaughter, endangering another person, and weapons charges.

Police said Jones, who thought the gun was not loaded, had taken gun-safety classes for an armed security-guard certification and had a Florida permit to carry a gun.

- Mari A. Schaefer