Fatal shooting of teen: Witness heard gunshot near Collier County apartment pool area
Reports of a gunshot in the pool area of a Lely apartment complex in Collier County and a confession to playing with a loaded firearm led a 13-year-old to face charges in the shooting death of a 15-year-old over Memorial Day weekend.
Irving Adrian Jimenez Lopez, 13, faces one count of manslaughter in the shooting death of 15-year-old Christian Chavez.
Just before 1:15 a.m. on May 26, Collier County sheriff's deputies responded to Whistler's Cove Apartments to reports of a shooting.
The sheriff's office said Chavez died from a gunshot wound to the head. Authorities found Chavez slumped over in a lounge chair, according to an incident report.
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Next to Chavez, authorities said they found a handgun with a dark gray camouflage-style wrap.
Authorities later responded to a home on Mitchell Street, in Naples, where they detained Jimenez Lopez on a manslaughter charge. The report noted that sheriff's officials detained a second minor, whose identity remained redacted in the report.
During a pat-down search on the second minor, authorities said they found a loaded handgun with two live rounds in the magazine. The report stated Jimenez Lopez did not have a weapon on him.
According to the report, Jimenez Lopez did not want his parents present while authorities questioned him.
The sheriff's office said it believes the shooting was accidental.
During a 911 call, a witness said he was smoking a cigarette when he heard a gunshot coming from the pool area at the apartment complex.
"He was running around like crazy," the witness said when he looked toward the pool area. "He dropped some stuff, picked it up, slipped over the stairs, fell and took off running."
The witness said the teenager then ran toward a nearby playground.
Tomas Rodriguez is a Breaking/Live News Reporter for the Naples Daily News and The News-Press. You can reach Tomas at TRodriguez@gannett.com or 772-333-5501. Connect with him on Threads @tomasfrobeltran, Instagram @tomasfrobeltran, Facebook @tomasrodrigueznews and Bluesky @tomasfrodriguez.
This article originally appeared on Naples Daily News: Minors played with loaded gun in Florida when teenager was killed
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