Volleyball player on honor roll shoots former schoolmate in the head, stages suicide scene: Cops

One teen is dead and another is facing criminal accusations of killing him and staging the scene to appear as though it were a suicide.

According to the New York Post, 18-year-old Nathan Hopper was found dead Sunday inside a home in Peru.

Police say they found a firearm in his right hand but no corresponding blood.

Brayden Berkshire, also 18, soon emerged as a person of interest and authorities interviewed the Logansport High School senior. Hopper had recently attended the same Miami County school.

Investigators say Berkshire initially claimed Hopper shot himself in the head but soon changed her story and acknowledged that she pulled the trigger and placed the weapon in the victim’s hand.

She claimed the two had been playing with the firearm, which she believed was empty. They had both pulled the trigger without the gun firing, Berkshire reportedly told investigators.

When she pointed the gun at Hopper’s head in the home’s bedroom, she claimed he told her she could squeeze the trigger and it would not fire.

In addition to a fatal injury to Hopper, the suspect reportedly sustained a related injury to her left hand.

Berkshire is identified as an honor-roll student and volleyball player at Logansport High School. Principal Matt Jones released a statement on the matter to People.

“This is a tragic event and we want to allow the authorities to do their investigation,” he said.

Authorities in Indiana arrested her on Monday and booked her into Miami County Jail. She is expected to face counts including reckless homicide and obstruction of justice.

[Featured image: Brayden Berkshire, Miami County Sheriff’s Office]