Friend of downtown London shooting victim says 'it was an accident'

A witness to a shooting inside a London highrise apartment that killed a 16-year-old said it was never supposed to happen.

Police responded to a unit at 580 Dundas Street, right across from police headquarters, at around 5:30 p.m. Tuesday where they found a teensuffering from a gunshot wound. He died a short time later.

The victim has been identified as 16-year-oldOwen Nicholas Serieskaof London.

Friend held victim as he died

Kelly Scott, a friend and former girlfriend of the victim,saidthe shooting was not supposed to happen.

Scott saidshe was behind Serieska when the gunwent off.

"He was never meant to get hurt, it was an accident," she said. "The guy who ended up shooting him was my boyfriend. He dropped the gun and Owen went to reach for it and it just ended up shooting him."

A firearm was recovered at the scene and asuspect was taken into custody.

Police have charged 19-year-old Jesse Joseph Winstanleywith manslaughter. Serieska and Winstanley were known to each other, according to police.

The investigation is in its early stages and has been reassigned to the Major Crime Section. Nothing has been proven in court.

Last words

"I held him and I made sure he was not going to be alone while he died."

She said his last words were that he loved his dad.

Kelly saidSerieska grew up in Niagara Falls and then moved to London with his father. He was just over two weeks away from celebrating his 17th birthday.

"He was doing so great in school, he was going great things, he wanted to get a job, he was going to own his own garage and work on cars."

Anyone with information about the shooting is asked to call police at 519-661-5670 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477. Information can also be sent online anonymously.