For the second time this week, a Phoenix, Arizona teenager accidentally shot a teenage friend today. 

In the latest incident, Sergio Lopez Ruiz accidentally shot his friend Brian Lujan, also 18, while the two were handling Lopez Ruiz’s gun.  Lujan died at the hospital and Lopez Ruiz has been arrested on suspicion of manslaughter.

On May 17, 14-year old Emir Rivas was accidentally shot and killed by a 15-year old who was playing with a gun in a car.  The 15-year old has been arrested although the police concluded the shooting was accidental.

Neither report contains information about whether an adult will be held responsible for allowing a teenager access to a gun.

Sources:

Angela Cordoba Perez, “18-year-old Man Dies, His Friend Arrested After a Gun Went Off in a West Phoenix Home,” AZ Central (May 24, 2022).

Haleigh Kochanski, “14-year-old Boy Dead After ‘Accidental’ Shooting Involving 15-year-old Boy,” AZ Central (May 23, 2022).