4-year-old Kills Self with Father’s Glock; 13-year-old Accidentally Shot and Killed While Playing with Both Nerf and Real Gun

In a home in Memphis, Tennessee, a 4-year-old found his father’s loaded Glock 10mm handgun and fatally shot himself in the head. The boy’s father, Vincent Gilliams, told police the gun was in his pants pocket when he took off his clothes and laid then on a loveseat. He was playing video games when he heard the gunshot. Gilliams was at home with his girlfriend and their five children when the shooting occurred. Police recovered the gun, and Gilliams has been charged with criminally negligent homicide and aggravated child neglect.

And in an apartment complex in Phoenix, Arizona, 13-year-old Earlric Reynolds was unintentionally shot and killed by 18-year-old Adolfo Villalva, while they played with a Nerf gun. Villalva told police that he drove his mother’s car to the complex and “because it looked cool” he took the loaded 9mm Ruger handgun that was stored under the driver’s seat and put it into his pants pocket. At some point, he pointed both the Nerf gun and the Ruger at the boy and pulled the trigger of the handgun by mistake. Villalva and two witnesses then moved the boy’s body to the parking lot and hid the gun. Police retrieved the gun, and Villalva was charged with multiple counts, including manslaughter. It was also revealed that due to prior convictions, Villalva was prohibited from possessing a firearm.

Sources:

Rose Johnson, “Man Arrested After 4-year-old Shot, Killed in Accidental Shooting, Police Say,” actionnews5.com (April 9, 2024).

Ben Bradley, Casey Torres, “Man ‘Accidentally’ Kills 13-year-old Boy While Playing with Nerf Gun, 9mm Handgun, Phoenix Police Say,” kold.com (April 8, 2024).