(BCN) -- A 25-year-old man charged with involuntary manslaughter for the fatal shooting of his girlfriend earlier this week in San Francisco's Sunset District pleaded not guilty at his arraignment Friday. Samantha Emge, 22, died after being shot allegedly by Nation Wood at 22nd Avenue and Santiago S treet around 10:45 p.m. Tuesday. According to a preliminary investigation, the discharge of the gun may not have been intentional. "It does seem like a horrific accident," said Doug Welch with the San Francisco Public Defender's Office, which is representing Wood. ‘No Kings’ protests in Bay Area: List Family members and friends of Emge sat in the courtroom at the San Francisco Hall of Justice on the opposite side of Wood's relatives. Friends of Emge cried as they entered the courtroom. Wood walked into the courtroom in orange jail clothing, walking in with his head down and eyes glued to the ground. Wood's father, Michael Wood, tried to get his son to acknowledge him with a wave. Wood did not look away from the ground as he entered. Wood muttered his name to San Francisco Superior Court Judge Christopher Hu, sulking with his head down. Wood pleaded not guilty and denied any allegations, Welch said. Welch requested that Wood be released, given that he does not have a criminal record and since he stayed at the scene and yelled for help, Welch said. "This is an extremely horrible situation and I feel very confident that Mr. Wood will succeed in any condition the court requires," Welch said. "We are asking the court to release him." Hu set Wood's bail at $300,000. Before the shooting, Wood was scheduled to leave San Francisco soon to go serve in the National Guard. "I do think there is a flight risk in the case," Hu said. If Wood is able to post bail, he will be required to wear an ankle monitor, prohibited from having weapons, and he will be subject to search at any time. "I think that Mr. Wood will do everything he can to do right," Welch said. The charge of involuntary manslaughter carries a sentence of up to four years in prison. A bail review is set for Wednesday at the Hall of Justice. Hu set Wood's preliminary hearing for April 9. Wood lived in San Francisco for several years and studied at San Francisco State University. According to his LinkedIn profile, he worked in security. Emge was a recent graduate of SFSU and worked in interior design, her LinkedIn profile says. Copyright © 2026 Bay City News, Inc. ...read more read less