BAY CITY, MI -- Before accidentally shooting himself in the head, a Bay City man assured his friends the gun in his hand was fake. In an attempt to prove his point, he put the barrel to his head and pulled the trigger.

Now, one of those friends is facing a criminal charge for allegedly falsely claiming his friend was the victim of a drive-by shooting.

About 1:10 a.m. on Sunday, April 10, Bay County Central Dispatch received a call of a shooting at 716 S. Farragut St. The male caller told dispatchers a Chevrolet Impala had driven by and someone from the car shot his friend in the head. The caller said he was taking his wounded buddy to the hospital, court records show.

Police officers responded to both the scene and McLaren Bay Region hospital. At the hospital, officers spoke with 17-year-old Edward E. Williams Jr. and 23-year-old Megan M. Walraven. Williams told officers he and his 18-year-old best friend Shawn M. Palmer were standing outside of the Farragut Street house when an Impala drove up containing two men. One of the men pointed a .22-caliber pistol out the window and opened fire, Williams told police.

Williams speculated the shooting was done as retribution for Palmer's older brother, Justin J. Palmer, being accused of shooting someone else, court records show.

Shawn M. Palmer

"After Shawn got shot, he walked down the sidewalk holding his head," Williams told police, according to court records. "We were just getting to the stairs, about to walk up the porch, when he got shot. I heard the shots and said, 'You hit?' and he said, 'No.' Then I looked up and I seen blood spurting out."

Williams added that Palmer is "involved in my gang. We don't have beef with rival gangs. We have beef with our own gang."

Walraven, describing herself as Palmer's guardian, said she wasn't there and didn't see the shooting. She added Palmer "has a lot of people after him."

Shortly after, Palmer's aunt arrived at the hospital and spoke with Walraven. The aunt then had police speak with Walraven again. This time, Walraven said the shooting happened in her living room at the Farragut address, also listed as Palmer's residence.

"He didn't mean it," Walraven told police. "He said (the gun) wasn't real. He started bleeding, it started gushing. Shawn was scared that he was going to get in trouble. Shawn and Eddie came walking into the house. Shawn had a gun and I started tripping out. He kept saying it was fake. I seen the gun and said, 'What is that and why do you have that on you?' He kept saying it was fake. He said, 'Look, it's fake. I'm gonna show you.' He cocked it and did it."

Walraven and Williams drove Palmer to the hospital in her car, she said. She initially said she didn't know what became of the gun, but later told police she was pretty sure it was still in her car, court records show. The records do not specify if police recovered the firearm, but Capt. Mark Turner said officers did locate the gun and are still in the process of determining its lawful owner.

In the emergency room, Palmer told police he was shot by an unknown person while standing on South Farragut Street, court records show.

Police detained Williams at the hospital, but he was unruly and uncooperative. Officers had to handcuff and hobble Williams' ankles in arresting him, court records show.

At the Farragut Street house, police found a pool of blood on the front porch steps. While there, the officers were approached by two men. The men told police Walraven had called them claiming another of their friends had shot Palmer, court record show.

Williams on April 28 appeared in Bay County District Court for arraignment on one count of false report of a felony. The charge is a four-year felony. Neither Walraven nor Palmer are charged with any crimes in connection to the shooting, though at the time of the incident, Palmer was wanted on a bench warrant for failing to appear in court. In three cases from 2015, he is charged with second- and third-degree retail fraud, attempted larceny less than $200 and trespassing, all of them misdemeanors.

Justin J. Palmer

Palmer's older brother, Justin J. Palmer, is charged with two counts of felony firearm and single counts of receiving and concealing a stolen firearm, carrying a concealed weapon, and felon in possession of a firearm.

The charges stem from an incident that occurred the evening of Tuesday, Dec. 15. Police responded to Justin Palmer's residence on South Farragut Street after Bay County Central Dispatch advised them Palmer allegedly had a gun and was involved in an altercation. Officers saw two bondsmen had Palmer handcuffed and lying on the lawn, court records show.

The bondsmen told police Palmer was on bond and that they were looking for him as he failed to appear for a court hearing. They had received a tip that Palmer had a gun and was in the area. The two bondsmen detained Palmer as he left his house and was getting into a vehicle, which was driven by a woman, court records show. With Palmer cuffed, the bondsmen searched him and found a semiautomatic 9mm Smith & Wesson pistol in the right-front pocket of his sweatshirt, court records show.

The gun was loaded with 10 rounds, according to court records. Police found an additional 9mm magazine in the vehicle. The handgun had been reported stolen Nov. 24, court records show.

Palmer had a centimeter-long cut above his right eye, sustained in his scrap with the bondsmen, according to court records. Officers took him to McLaren Bay Region hospital for treatment. While they waited for a doctor, Palmer repeatedly told the officers one of the bondsman was lucky, as he (Palmer) should have killed him, court records show.

At his arraignment on Dec. 16, Palmer said he "never knew those guns were stolen." He then went on to beg and plead for District Judge Mark E. Janer to release him on bond so he could be present for the birth of his first child.

Janer read aloud Palmer's juvenile record, which includes court action on retail fraud, resisting and obstructing police, malicious destruction of property, larceny in a building and multiple counts of breaking and entering a motor vehicle. His adult record, which Janer also read aloud, includes convictions of resisting and obstructing police, brandishing a firearm in public, unlawfully driving away a motor vehicle and furnishing contraband to prisoners.

When Janer set Palmer's bond at $75,000 cash-surety, the defendant began sobbing and removed his shirts. Jail staff took Palmer from the room.

Palmer on Tuesday, April 26, the day before his 24th birthday, appeared before Janer and waived his right to a preliminary examination so he could accept a plea offer in Circuit Court. Janer bound the case over to the higher court.

The plea offer states that if Palmer pleads guilty or no contest to the charges of receiving and concealing a stolen firearm, carrying a concealed weapon, and firearm possession by a felon, prosecutors will dismiss the two felony firearm counts. The prosecution also agreed to dismiss unrelated misdemeanor counts of domestic violence, malicious destruction of a building less than $200, and assault and battery.

Palmer must also plead as a habitual offender, fourth offense, court records show.

Justin Palmer's next court date is pending.

Williams is to appear for a preliminary examination before District Judge Mark E. Janer at 2 p.m. on Thursday, May 12.