2 Teens Killed in Incidents at Parties : Deaths: A Buena Park boy was stabbed and a Fullerton man shot himself in what are the first casualties of the weekend leading up to Christmas Day.

A 17-year-old Buena Park boy was stabbed to death and a 19-year-old Fullerton man fatally shot himself in an apparent accident during two separate parties in Orange County over the weekend, authorities said.

The two deaths were the first of the long holiday weekend leading up to Christmas Day on Tuesday.

The first incident happened about 8:25 p.m. Friday. Police received a call that a teen-ager had been stabbed repeatedly when he stepped into the middle of an argument taking place outside a house where a party was being held, Fullerton Police Lt. Tony Hernandez said.

When police arrived at the scene, they discovered the dead body of Buena Park High School student Barry Cope, who had been stabbed seven times in the upper body, Hernandez said.

Hernandez said that Cope had just arrived at the party in the 1300 block of West Elm Avenue and noticed a 16-year-old boy arguing with his 16-year-old girlfriend on the front lawn.

The couple were also students at the high school, but it was unclear whether the party was being held to celebrate the school’s winter recess.

“During the argument, the victim, who had just arrived at the party with friends, attempted to intervene,” Hernandez said, adding that “it’s undetermined whether or not they knew each other.”

A fight soon broke out between Cope and the other boy, whom police declined to name because of his age. The 16-year-old boy then pulled out a knife and savagely stabbed Cope before fleeing on foot with his girlfriend, police said.

Using descriptions from witnesses, police found the boy and his girlfriend in a liquor store about five blocks from the party and arrested them both, Police Sgt. Steve Matson said.

They were being held at the Orange County Juvenile Hall, Matson said. Owners of the house declined comment.

About four hours after the stabbing, the second violent death occurred during a party in a Huntington Beach house in the 1800 block of Seaglen Drive.

Walton A. Richison wandered into an upstairs bedroom and found a loaded .22-caliber revolver, Huntington Beach Police Sgt. Tris Swan said.

He then took the handgun and walked back into a hallway, where he met three of his friends.

“He stated to the witnesses, ‘Look what I found, and it’s loaded,’ and he pointed it to his head,” Swan said. He then fired once, sending a bullet through his temple. He died instantly.