A McDonough man charged with murder told investigators his friend accidentally shot himself, police said Thursday.

Police were called to a home on Sweetwater Way around 9 p.m. Saturday for a report that 33-year-old Phillip Ryan Roy had been shot in the head.

Roy was taken to Piedmont Henry Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

Roy’s acquaintance, Douglas Allan Skidmore, 23, lied to police about what happened, authorities said.

“During the course of the investigation and after medical examination, it was determined that the gunshot wound was not self-inflicted,” Henry County police spokesman Sgt. Joey Smith said.

Skidmore was charged with murder for the shooting and with theft by conversion for allegedly taking Roy’s car after he was shot.

Victor Ray Lopez, 31, also was charged with theft by conversion and with giving false statements to police.

Skidmore is being held at the Henry County jail on $20,000 bond, according to jail records, and Lopez is being held on $10,000 bond.

The investigation continues, Smith said.

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The city of Brookhaven's mayor and City Council last week decided to remove the colored panes of glass from the dome of Brookhaven's new City Centre after residents objected to the brightness of the colors, seen here Friday, June 27, 2025. (Reed Williams/AJC)

Credit: Reed Williams/AJC