S.D. Police Trainee Fatally Shoots Fiancee

After celebrating Christmas, a San Diego police trainee fatally shot his fiancee in the head as he demonstrated how to draw a gun, police said Tuesday.

Angelina Rose Sprecco, 21, the second-youngest of 14 children, died after being shot by Mark Cunningham, who said he did not realize the 9-millimeter pistol was loaded, Sheriff’s Lt. John Tenwolde said.

The couple was in a bedroom at Cunningham’s parents’ Lakeside home at 8:30 p.m. Monday when Sprecco, a pre-school teacher, asked him to show how he drew his pistol from the holster, Cunningham, 24, told authorities. He donned his holster and when Sprecco signaled, he drew, pointed the gun at her, and pulled the trigger. A single round was fired, and Sprecco slumped to the floor.

A preliminary investigation indicates the incident was accidental, Tenwolde said.

“There is no anger,” said Ralph Sprecco, the victim’s father. “We love Mark deeply. It was just a terrible accident.”

The couple were “very much in love” and planned to marry in April, after Cunningham graduated from the police academy, said Cathy Sprecco, one of the victim’s sisters. “They were a very special couple,” she said. “He has lost the love of his life.”

Cunningham, who enrolled in the San Diego Police Academy Oct. 10, was sworn in as a peace officer only 10 days before the shooting. He is on administrative leave, San Diego Police Lt. Greg Clark said.

“The decision has not been made whether he will continue with the academy or remain on leave until the outcome of the investigation,” said Clark, who added that, in the past two decades, there have been no accidental fatal shootings involving trainees.

Students at the academy go through 783 hours of training over about a six-month period before graduating, Clark said. The schooling includes 64 hours of firearms training, which involves lessons on weapon safety as well as proficiency. Cunningham was very proud of his training, relatives say.

“For weapon safety in general, you’re taught not to point a weapon at anyone--that’s basic firearms safety,” Clark said.

Cunningham, described as a “competent” student, is one in a class of about 40 trainees. The trainees, who receive a salary of $2,054 monthly, are carefully screened and only 10% of all applicants are asked to enroll, Clark said.

Cunningham had won the hearts of many in the Sprecco family, who looked forward to sharing their Christmas with the young man, a church-goer.

The Spreccos began Christmas Day opening presents. Because of the family’s size, the seven sons and seven daughters drew a name of one sibling to whom they would give a gift. Ralph Sprecco, a retired telephone worker, and his wife, Gretchen, gave presents to all 14 kids, whose ages range from 19 to 37.

The soon-to-be-wed couple spent their day shuttling back and forth between the Cunninghams’ home and the Spreccos’ home, well-decorated with bright holiday lights in the 9700 block of Lake View Road. The Cunninghams live nearby, in the 12000 block of Rockcrest Road.

For them, it was a particularly festive Christmas. Angelina Sprecco, who sang in a church choir and played guitar, devoted much of her time getting ready for her spring wedding, her father said. They had been engaged for almost three years, after meeting at El Capitan High School in Lakeside.

In preparation for her new life, she had begun looking at mobile homes, trying to find the most suitable one for the couple to buy.

She dreamed of opening her own pre-school center one day, said sister Cathy, a 27-year-old dental assistant. “Angie,” as her sister called her, was special and drew the love of each, she says. “Everybody loved Angie.

“We are such a large family and we were just saying how we are very lucky that we had each other,” Cathy said. “Until now, we never had a tragedy.”

Angelina Sprecco will be buried Friday in El Cajon Cemetery after a 10 a.m. Mass at Our Lady of Perpetual Help church in Lakeside.