‘”Killer” stabbed friend’s eyes with folding knife then shot him 16 times’

An accused killer stabbed his friend in both eyes with a folding knife then shot him 16 times, police say.

Derek Sweere, 30, has been charged with murder for the horrific killing of his roommate, Brandon Snyder, who suffered deep gashes in each eye during the fatal attack in Perham, Minessota on Monday, according to court documents.

The gruesome details of the murder were revealed n a criminal complaint filed Wednesday. According to the complaint, Sweere began arguing with Snyder in the stairwell of their shared home. Snyder aimed Sweere’s own .22-caliber gun at him, which Sweere told police he noticed was missing earlier that night.

Sweere told police Snyder refused to give up the gun, so he punched him. He said his roomate then told him ‘you’re my friend, you’re my friend, I’m going to kill you.’

A struggle ensued and Sweere wrapped himself around Snyder’s legs so he could not get away, according to the complaint. Sweere then allegedly took out a folding knife and used it to stab Snyder in the left eye, leaving a two-inch deep wound, then through the right eye, the Brainerd Dispatch reported.

Sweere told police Snyder was killed in the stabbing, but he then proceeded to shoot his dead roomate 15 times with the .22 caliber rifle – then one more time with a 270-caliber rifle, according to the report.

After the fight, Sweere turned all the lights on in the house and opened the blinds, then called police. Snyder’s body was found by paramedics a short time later and Sweere was arrested without incident. He reportedly told police that he killed Snyder, but said it was in self-defense.

He is charged with second-degree murder and possession of a firearm in Snyder’s death.