Clerk Kills Boy, 13, With Gun Thought to Be Empty : Pacoima: A young Northridge man surrenders to police after shooting the youth at a local gas station.

A 13-year-old boy died Saturday after he was shot in the head at a Pacoima gas station by a clerk who was playing with a gun he apparently thought was unloaded, police said.

The boy, identified by friends and family as Manuel Ruiz, died Saturday afternoon at Holy Cross Medical Center after falling into a coma, said Los Angeles Police Lt. Richard Meraz.

The clerk, Joon Park, 18, of Northridge, was in custody at Foothill Police Station on suspicion of attempted murder while detectives investigated the shooting, Meraz said.

“Once the investigation unfolds we may seek charges of manslaughter,” Meraz said. “It apparently was an accident.”

The shooting occurred about 9 p.m. Friday at J’s gas station at Van Nuys Boulevard and Pala Avenue, police said. Park is an attendant there and Ruiz lived in an apartment across the street.

Witnesses said Park often played with the handgun, which he told people was a .38-caliber revolver. Police did not confirm what kind of hand gun was involved.

Park would point it at boys who hung around the gas station and the market next door, said witnesses. Some neighborhood youths said Park would joke about playing Russian roulette with them.

“He used to point the gun at people then go ‘click.’ He would pull the trigger to show it was empty, then laugh,” said Jose Rodriguez, 13, who saw the shooting. “It made people nervous.”

But when Park put the pistol up to Manuel’s forehead on Friday, it was not empty.

“He put it right up to him and said it wasn’t loaded. He pointed the gun to his head and ‘boom,’ ” said Richard Sanchez, another friend of Manuel.

Park appeared shocked, witnesses said, and yelled for someone to call for help while he began giving first aid to the boy.

“He went crazy . . . He just put the gun down and started crying,” Sanchez said. “He put his hand up to Manuel’s head and tried to stop the blood flowing.”

Park, who surrendered to police without incident, had been working at the gas station for about two months, said co-worker Raul Perales. He was not known as a problem employee.

“He was always nice to people. He has a sense of humor. I don’t understand this at all,” Perales said. “This is very bad.”

Manuel’s mother spent most of Saturday at the hospital while other family members and friends gathered at the boy’s home. The door was ajar early Saturday night, and people passed back and forth from the apartment next door, where Manuel’s aunt and uncle live.

Relatives described Manuel as a good-natured boy who would frequently ride his bicycle around the neighborhood, either playing with friends or traveling to and from Patrick Henry Junior High School, where he recently transferred.

Inside the family’s small second-floor apartment, more than a dozen young people--family and friends of Manuel--stood around the kitchen. Several were visibly distraught, sobbing and crying. One gangly teen-ager, who said he was a cousin, described the gas station clerk with a string of shouted obscenities.

One young boy remained quiet but frowned and paced nervously around the room. “He’s my brother. I miss him,” the boy said. He began describing Manuel, his hobbies and his playful temperament. He spoke of Manuel’s love for video games.

“He’s not going to play any more,” his brother said, tears trickling down his face. Two girls, sobbing, hugged him. Most of the youths began to cry.

In the apartment next door, the adults gathered. Several spoke sadly of the incident. Most, including the boy’s mother, just wanted to be left alone.

“He was a nice kid. He never caused any trouble. He just hung out with all the other kids,” said Carlos Perez, Manuel’s uncle. “I don’t know why someone would play Russian roulette with a kid. . . . They must be crazy.”