A tragedy struck Phoenix on April 7th when a 13-year-old boy, Earlric Reynolds, was fatally shot during what was supposed to be a playful skirmish with Nerf guns gone horrifically awry. Earlric was shot by 18-year-old Adolfo Villalva, who mistook a real firearm for the toy they were playing with. The shooting took place around 1:15 p.m. near 7th Avenue and Mountain View Road, as reported by FOX 10 Phoenix.

Arriving officers were alerted to what was initially thought to be a stabbing but instead found the young Reynolds with bullet wounds. Despite rapid transportation to a local hospital, his injuries would claim his life, a sudden and heartrending loss of innocence in the waning hours of a Sunday afternoon. Villalva, in a staggering misjudgment, had tucked his mother's gun into his pocket, thinking it "looked cool," as per accounts substantiated by 12 News.

The aftermath of the gunshot was panicked and chaotic. Witnesses, along with Villalva, hastily moved Reynolds to the apartment complex parking lot, and in a dire attempt to obfuscate the calamitous events, Villalva hid the weapon before the arrival of law enforcement. Villalva was consequently taken into custody and is now facing charges that include manslaughter, misconduct involving weapons, and tampering with evidence.

Villalva's account of the incident paints a grim picture. He allegedly admitted to handling both the Nerf gun and the real firearm simultaneously when the fatal shot was discharged. "While pointing both objects at the 13-year-old, Villalva said he pulled what he thought was the toy's trigger but actually pulled the firearm's trigger," according to a statement obtained by 12 News. The gun, later found and recovered by police, had been secreted away by Villalva in an apparent attempt to hide evidence of the shooting.