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<p>WILKES-BARRE &#8212; It took longer to transport Kahzmeek Prater from jail than it did for him to waive his right to a preliminary hearing Friday.</p><p>A delay at the Luzerne County Correctional Facility with processing incoming and outgoing inmates caused Prater&#8217;s hearing to begin late.</p><p>Once Prater, 18, arrived at District Judge Thomas Malloy&#8217;s courtroom, he waived his right to the hearing on charges of involuntary manslaughter, possession with intent to deliver a controlled substance, tampering with evidence and false reports. That means he will now face trial in county court.</p><p>The teen was returned to the lockup for lack of $150,000 bail after the court appearance that took less than five minutes.</p><p>City police detectives allege Prater was playing with a semi-automatic handgun and trying to fix an unraveling marijuana blunt when the weapon discharged, striking his friend, Jacob Shedlock, 18, in the chest Nov. 23. Shedlock was rushed to Wilkes-Barre General Hospital where he died about 20 minutes after suffering the gunshot wound, court records say.</p><p>Police said the shooting happened inside 768 N. Pennsylvania Ave. where Shedlock was found at the top of stairs on the second floor.</p><p>According to a criminal complaint:</p><p>Prater initially claimed Shedlock told him that a &#8220;buddy&#8221; was coming over. Prater was in a bathroom with the door closed when he heard a gunshot.</p><p>Prater exited the bathroom and Shedlock fell into his arms asking to call 911.</p><p>Two days after the shooting, Prater went to Wilkes-Barre Police headquarters and spoke with detectives.</p><p>During that interview, Prater said he was handling a handgun while listening to rap music with Shedlock. Prater claimed he had the gun in one hand with his finger on the trigger while holding a blunt. The blunt began to unravel, and while attempting to fix the cigar, the firearm discharge unexpectedly, the complaint says.</p><p>Prater claims the shooting was an accident.</p><p>When Prater was on the phone with 911, he took the firearm and tossed it as far as he could in his backyard before returning to unlock the front door for police.</p><p>Police searched the house and found a total of 2.6 pounds of suspected marijuana in bags on a dresser, inside a safe and in a backpack that was on the floor of the attic. In addition, a .40-caliber shell casing was found on a bedroom floor.</p><style>
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<div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/web1_TTL112918Prater1.CMYK_.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">Prater </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo0>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/web1_TTL112918Prater1.CMYK_.jpg</photo0><caption0>Prater </caption0><photoCredit0></photoCredit0></div></div>
<div class="metaInfo"><bylineMeta><p>By Ed Lewis</p><p>elewis@www.timesleader.com</p></bylineMeta></div>

Teen to stand trial on involuntary manslaughter charge