2nd UPDATE: Suprising twist in death of North Charleston teen

A dramatic turn of events today, as North Charleston police say the shooting death of a 19 year old North Charleston man, was accidental.

In a news conference Friday, coroner Rae Wooten said Dionta RaShad Cochran died after a gun in his back pocket went off.

She said Cochran was getting into his car, when the gun fired, and the bullet struck him in the chest as he bent over to close the car door.

The North Charleston police department says this case is a learning experience. They originally classified the death as a homicide and informed the press that they were looking for the killer. They say from now on, they will classify deaths like this as suspicious until the coroner confirms it’s a homicide.

Wooten says it took several days, and several scientific studies to come to the conclusion that the death was accidental. She says the cooperation of the family was invaluable.

The family of Cochran says this is a relief for them, and they are working with their church as they begin the healing process.