Latest news with #LaylaRamos
Daily Mail
a day ago
- Daily Mail
Adorable girl shot dead by her brother after pair find father's rifle while playing at home
An Arizona father is facing charges after his young daughter was shot dead by her brother who found their dad's assault rifle in his bedroom. Layla Ramos, five, was shot in the torso inside her South Phoenix, Arizona home on June 3, and was rushed to a nearby psychiatric hospital, where her family hoped she would receive emergency medical treatment, according to AZFamily. She was then transported to a trauma center, where she was pronounced dead. But when the girl's father, Irvin Ramos-Jimenez, 33, called police to the scene he claimed that his daughter was stabbed. When officers then arrived on the scene, they learned that Ramos-Jimenez had driven off while rushing his daughter to the psychiatric center. He had apparently fled after seeing an ambulance arrive at the psychiatric center, and returned home because he realized he left other children alone in the house with his illegally-owned AR-style rifle, 12 News reports. When officers finally caught up with him, the father allegedly told police that he was outside the family's home when he heard a loud bang. He then ran into his nine-year-old son's room, where he said he found Layla had been shot, Arizona Republic reports. At that point, court documents say he admitted to police that he stored the rifle on the top shelf of his son's room and said the boy 'must have grabbed the gun.' Neighbors also noted that after the shooting, the unidentified brother ran out of the house, frantic and screaming. Two 14 year olds were also in the boy's room at the time, the court filing states. Ramos-Jimenez even allegedly admitted he knew he was not legally allowed to own a firearm due to a 2021 felony drug conviction, but obtained the AR-style weapon through a 'private sale' for 'personal protection.' The father was then taken into custody on suspicion of possession of a weapon by a prohibited person, but was released on his own recognizance the following day - despite prosecutors' objections. They had asked a Maricopa County judge to hold Ramos-Jimenez on a $250,000 secure bond. 'He brought a gun into a home with kids - and not just any gun, it was an assault rifle,' prosecutors argued in court last week, according to ABC 15. 'He stored it in his nine-year-old's bedroom and if this gun had not been in the house, we wouldn't have had the outcome we did.' The Maricopa County judge, though, ultimately denied the state's request and let Ramos-Jimenez walk free. He is now not allowed to have contact with any of the victims or witnesses to the shooting. In the meantime, the family is hoping to lay Layla to rest at a burial site for babies and children, her uncle wrote in an online fundraiser. It described the young girl as the family's 'little princess who got her wings way too soon. 'She was so loving, smart and a truly beautiful soul,' Layla's uncle, Jose Ramos, writes in the fundraiser - which has already raised over $10,000 for her funeral expenses. The young girl's mother, Dolores Ramirez, also released a statement saying: 'My sweet daughter Layla was only five years old, but she filled our world with a love and light far beyond her years. She had the gentlest soul - kind, soft-hearted and always so loving. 'Layla was the kind of child who made everyone feel special with just a smile or a quiet hug. 'She was so excited for school to start soon; she would talk about it with such love and anticipation,' Ramirez added. 'She loved deeply and purely, and that love will stay with us forever. 'Though her time with us was far too short, Layla's beautiful spirit will always live on in our hearts,' she concluded.
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Many people to blame for Layla Ramos' death, but the shooter isn't one
Contrary to what you may have read, there were two victims this week when a 5-year-old Phoenix girl was shot and killed in her south Phoenix home. Layla Ramos is dead, but she is not the only victim here. Her 9-year-old brother, who Phoenix police say fired the bullet that killed her, also is a victim — one who will have to live with this week's tragedy for the rest of his life. Of course, it wasn't his fault. It was the fault of his father, Irvin Ramos-Jimenez, 33, who shouldn't have even had a rifle, much less stored it in his son's bedroom. It was the fault — though not legally — of whomever sold him the AR-15-style rifle. In Arizona, you can sell your gun privately to any Tom, Dick or dirty Harry, no questions asked. And it's the fault of the Arizona Legislature, which refuses to pass a bill requiring universal background checks. Had the previous gun owner been required to check, he presumably would have learned that he was selling his rifle to a man who can't legally possess one. According to court records, Ramos-Jimenez, 33, told police he has a prior felony drug conviction for narcotics and can't legally possess a firearm. So, he bought one anyway through a private sale, for 'personal protection.' Then he stored it in his 9-year-old son's bedroom closet. Court records say he also had a handgun in his truck. Ramos-Jiminez was arrested after the June 3 death of his daughter, on suspicion of possession of a weapon by a prohibited person. Let me count the ways our leaders could at least attempt to avoid such tragedy in the future. They could pass a bill requiring that every gun sale in Arizona be preceded by a background check, to determine whether the purchaser is legally allowed to own a firearm. They could pass a bill holding a seller liable if he or she doesn't do that background check and a little girl dies. They could pass a bill requiring gun owners to store their weapons responsibly, so that 9-year-old boys can't gain easy access and kill their sisters. So, what will the Arizona Legislature do to try to avoid the tragedy of another 5-year-old being put into a far-too-early grave? Or a 9-year-old put into what likely will be a self-imposed lifelong purgatory? Absolutely nothing. Reach Roberts at Follow her on X (formerly Twitter) at @LaurieRobertsaz, on Threads at @LaurieRobertsaz and on BlueSky at @ Subscribe to today. This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Phoenix shooting is no fault of the boy with the gun | Opinion
