Salvadoran Man, 67, Shot to Death While Visiting Relatives : North Hollywood: The victim is hit while his grandson is showing off the gun. A neighbor is arrested.

A 67-year-old man who came from El Salvador to visit relatives in North Hollywood for the holidays was accidentally shot to death when his grandson, a gang member, was showing off his handgun to a neighbor, police said Wednesday.

Police said the 16-year-old grandson, whose name was not made public, had obtained the .25-caliber semiautomatic gun after he was wounded in the hip by rival gang members two weeks ago in a drive-by shooting in Van Nuys.

“He had the gun for protection,” Sgt. Ike Langsam said. “He was afraid of being shot again.”

His grandfather, Herman Martinez, was hit once in the upper torso and died at North Hollywood Medical Center at 10:15 p.m Tuesday--nearly two hours after the shooting.

Manuel Lira, 48, who lives in a neighboring apartment, was in custody Wednesday on suspicion of manslaughter at North Hollywood Jail in lieu of $5,000 bail. Lira was arrested after “messing with the gun,” and accidentally firing it at Martinez, Lt. Michael Ranshaw said.

Martinez, his grandson, Lira and several others were in the carport of the family’s apartment building in the 12800 block of Vanowen Street when the shooting occurred about 8:30 p.m. Tuesday.

The grandson had illegally fired the handgun in a nearby alley earlier that evening and was showing it to the others at the time of the accident, Ranshaw said.

After the grandson had placed the gun on a nearby table, Lira picked up the weapon and began “fumbling with it,” Ranshaw said. The gun then went off, hitting Martinez once.

Lira took Martinez to CIGNA Health Care Center in North Hollywood, but the facility was not equipped to handle such emergencies and the wounded man was transferred by paramedics to North Hollywood Medical Center, Ranshaw said.

Lira fled after dropping off Martinez at the health-care center, but he was arrested several hours later at the home of relatives in the 6800 block of Morella Avenue.

Martinez’s grandson was also arrested for discharging the firearm illegally--a misdemeanor--and was released to the custody of his parents.

Ranshaw said detectives will submit their reports to the Los Angeles County district attorney’s office, which will determine if charges will be filed against Lira or the youth.