U.S. Park Police Officer Charged in Connection with Fatal Accidental Shooting of Off-Duty Officer

Off-Duty U.S. Park Police officer Alexander Roy is charged with the involuntary manslaughter of fellow officer, Jesse Brown Hernández, according to the Fairfax County Police Department

The off-duty U.S. Park Police officers were drinking at an apartment in McLean, Va., when one officer accidentally fatally shot another shortly after midnight Sunday, according to a preliminary police investigation.

Alexander Roy, 25, of McLean, was trying to “dry fire a firearm,” by pulling the trigger of a gun he believed to be unloaded to simulate an actual discharge when he inadvertently fatally shot Jesse Brown Hernández, 22, in the upper body, the Fairfax County Police Department alleged in a statement later that day.

U.S. Park Police confirmed the shooting in a statement, NBC News reported, but declined to answer any questions about the investigation. “Our focus right now is on supporting the family, friends and coworkers of our employees involved in this tragic incident,” they said in the statement.

The U.S. Park Police were established under President George Washington in 1791, according to the National Park Service, under which the force serves. Their officers investigate and arrest people who are “suspected of committing offenses against the United States,” and provide security at “many notable events conducted in the national parks,” according to NPS’s website.

Officers in the McLean Police District responded to a 911 call about the unintentional shooting at 12:20 Sunday morning.

Hernández, who was found deceased inside the apartment, was one of three off-duty U.S. Park Police officers in the apartment.

Another individual who knew the officers was also in the apartment, according to police.

Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? Sign up for PEOPLE's free True Crime newsletter for breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases.

Roy has been charged with involuntary manslaughter and is being held at the Fairfax County Adult Detention Center without bond, according to police. It is unclear if Roy has retained an attorney to speak on his behalf.

So far this year, there have been 1,347 unintentional shooting incidents reported and verified across the country, according to The Gun Violence Archive.

For more People news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter!

Read the original article on People.