WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — A 16-year-old is accused of fatally shooting his friend last year in West Palm Beach.
Police said the suspect, Wajdan Khan, initially lied about the incident, claiming his friend, Christian Tavares, accidentally shot himself.
WATCH BELOW: Teen arrested after friend fatally shot last year
Tavares, 19, died Sept. 16 after he and three other teenagers were involved in a car crash near Lantana Road.
Police said that after the crash, they discovered Tavares had a gunshot wound to his shoulder. The shooting had occurred in the area of Parker Avenue in West Palm Beach, and the teens said they were taking him to the hospital when the wreck occurred.
Khan was booked at the Palm Beach County jail on Thursday. He appeared before a Palm Beach County judge Friday to face a charge of manslaughter and tampering with evidence.
In his arrest report, West Palm Beach police said Khan was sitting next to Tavares in the back seat of the car while two other teens sat in the front.
After the car crashed, police said they found Tavares was shot. He was taken to Delray Medical Center but later died.
WATCH: Christian Tavares' family hopes people talk to their kids about gun safety
Police said they questioned Khan and he initially told them Tavares "may have shot himself" and later claimed the gun discharged when Tavares "passed him the gun and it dropped and probably went off."
In the arrest report, police indicated that an autopsy proved Khan was lying.
Investigators said the autopsy revealed it is impossible for Tavares to have "held a firearm to his own shoulder and fired 'accidentally' into his own body."
The police report also said that Khan disposed of the weapon somewhere along Interstate 95 to avoid being questioned about Tavares' death.
WPTV tried to speak with Tavares' mother on Friday but could not reach her. She previously told WPTV that she would "be suffering forever" until she sees her son again.
Khan is being held in the main detention center of the Palm Beach County jail. His bond is set at $25,000.
Court paperwork shows Khan will turn 17 years old on March 19.
It's unclear if the other two teens who were riding in the vehicle when it crashed in September will face charges in the case.
