Fallbrook Boy Killed by Gunshot
A 16-year-old Fallbrook High School student was killed Saturday night outside his Pauma Valley home when a friend accidentally shot him in the neck after firing several rounds from a handgun into the air, authorities said.
Carlos F. Perez died about 25 minutes after an unidentified youth displayed a .38-caliber revolver at a gathering of nine of Perez’s family and friends in the yard of Perez’s home, in the 19900 block of California 76, Sheriff’s Lt. John Tenwolde said.
Investigators believe that the shooting was accidental, and there is no evidence that use of drugs or alcohol contributed to the shooting, Tenwolde said. But the 15-year-old boy who fired the shots was arrested and booked into Juvenile Hall on suspicion of manslaughter, he said.
Tenwolde said Perez’s friend fired several shots into the air, then lowered the revolver and fired one more round, striking Perez in the neck. There is no telephone at Perez’s home, so witnesses, including the suspect, placed him in a truck, intending to drive to a hospital, Tenwolde said.
Instead, they stopped at a nearby campground and dialed 911. Deputies and firefighters who responded to the call found Perez dead at 8:55 p.m.
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