Classroom Slaying of Man Called Accident

A man at an adult education center who allegedly shot and killed another student in a classroom Wednesday morning told his family the shooting was an accident, his mother said Thursday.

Binh Thanh Ma, 18, told his family in a brief telephone conversation from the Orange County Jail on Wednesday night that he had been showing the gun to Jose Flores Tirado, 19, of Santa Ana during an English language class when he fired a bullet into Tirado’s chest, according to his mother, Lan Ma.

Witnesses told police that Ma and Tirado were “friendly acquaintances” at the Chapman-Hellinga Education Center and that the two were “just having a conversation” when the shot was fired.

When the students scattered, Tirado was found on the floor near the back of the room and Ma had fled, police said. He was found about 30 minutes later in the school principal’s office and was arrested without incident, police said. He was booked on suspicion of murder.

Ma’s mother said that her son called home Wednesday night and talked to his brother.

“He said he did it by accident,” she said. “When he called, we were really surprised.

“He sounded scared,” she added. “I really don’t believe he did it on purpose. He is not a bad boy.”

The family said that Ma did not own a gun but may have acquired one from friends.

Ma will be arraigned todayin Municipal Court in Westminster.