The 12-year-old boy who died in Chula Vista in early July accidentally shot himself with a ghost gun a friend brought over to his house during a sleepover, police confirmed Friday.
A ghost gun is a personally manufactured firearm that lacks a commercial serial number and can easily become untraceable due to the lack of identifying markings.
The 12-year-old boy who died in Chula Vista in early July accidentally shot himself with a ghost gun a friend brought over to his house during a sleepover, police confirmed Friday.
On July 3, at around 9:10 a.m., Chula Vista police officers were called to the Woodland Hills Condominium Complex to investigate reports of gunfire.
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When officers arrived at the complex, they found a 12-year-old boy lying on the ground outside. His family had moved him outside; he had suffered at least one gunshot wound, police said.
Officers and medics tried to revive the boy and he was taken to a local hospital. He died at the hospital a short time later, the CVPD said.
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CVPD questioned the friend who brought the gun, a 15-year-old boy, and said the teen claimed he got it from a family member. CVPD Lt. Dan Peak said the boy was vague and wouldn't say who the gun belonged to.
The boy now has an attorney and is cooperating with police, however, he provided no further statements, Peak said.
If police determine who owns the gun, the owner could face potential criminal charges based on how they got the firearm, Peak told NBC 7.
The San Diego City Council passed an ordinance on Sept. 14 intended to ban firearms without individual serial numbers — so-called "ghost guns" — and work to combat their proliferation on the streets.
The Eliminate Non-Serialized Untraceable Firearm (ENUF) ordinance will become law on Oct. 14.
Police said an anonymous tip could make a big difference in this case. Anyone who may have any information regarding this incident is asked to contact San Diego County Crime Stoppers at 888-580-8477.
