Murder suspect claims he wanted to scare unfaithful girlfriend, male roommate with shotgun

PHOENIX (KSAZ) - We have new details about the murder of a Phoenix woman -- her boyfriend, who is accused of shooting and killing her, says it was an accident.

20-year-old Rodney Patterson is behind bars and faces one count of second degree murder.

According to court paperwork, Patterson was at an apartment complex near 19th Avenue and Glendale on Friday afternoon. After he got out of the shower, Patterson claims to have found his girlfriend having a sexual relationship with his roommate. He grabbed a shotgun and cocked it to scare them.

The paperwork states Patterson's girlfriend then went to the kitchen, grabbed a knife and begged him to put the gun down.

Patterson told authorities he was going to put the gun back in a safe place, but when his girlfriend grabbed for the gun, his finger slipped and he accidentally shot her in the face, killing her.

The roommate ran out of the apartment.

The paperwork says Patterson ran out of the apartment as well with his cell phone to a family member's home, but never called the police.

According to police, Patterson admitted to threatening his girlfriend with the shotgun a week earlier when he thought she was talking to another man.

The woman's identity has not been released.