Cleveland firefighter arrested, charged with voluntary manslaughter

CLEVELAND, Ohio (WOIO) - A Cleveland firefighter was arrested and charged with a first-degree felony after an accidental shooting that occurred last week.

Kevin MCarthy, 25, called Willoughby police on April 14 at 8:16 p.m. saying that he accidentally shot and killed 25-year-old Christian Kilburg, his roommate, in an apartment complex on Grove Street in Willoughby, according to a news release.

McCarthy admitted to accidentally discharging his gun, shooting Kilburg in the head and killing him in a 911 call.

“I can’t believe this happened,” McCarthy said to dispatchers while waiting for police to arrive. “I was going to kill myself.”

McCarthy said to police that he was involved in what was described to be a “loud conversation” in the parking lot 30 minutes prior to the shooting, according to court records.

Court documents also state that a neighbor reported an individual, who she believed was McCarthy, had an “aggressive demeanor” during the argument.

McCarthy admitted to police during the initial investigation and during the 911 call that him and Kilburg were jokingly pulling guns on each other while seated on the couch in the apartment, according to court documents.

According to court documents, McCarthy alleged during the initial investigation that Kilburg gave him a gun.

McCarthy was charged with voluntary manslaughter April 18 and was released on $50,000 bail.

He was placed under house arrest with GPS tracking.

McCarthy, who was hired as a firefighter in 2021, has been suspended without pay pending the outcome of the judicial proceedings, according to a release from the Cleveland Division of Fire.

Willoughby Police are working with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) to determine who the two guns are registered to, according to Detective Lt. John Begovic.

The preliminary hearings are scheduled for April 28 in the Willoughby Municipal Court.

This story is ongoing and will be updated as new information is revealed.

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