A Bronx family is mourning the death of 16-year-old John Nunez, who police say was fatally shot while he and a friend were handling a firearm inside an apartment, as investigators continue working to determine exactly how the weapon discharged.
The shooting occurred shortly after 5 a.m. Monday, August 10, inside a residence at 1346 Prospect Avenue in the Morrisania section of the Bronx. Officers responding to a 911 call found Nunez suffering from a gunshot wound to the head. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
Investigators believe Nunez and another teenager were handling a gun when it discharged. Police sources described the shooting as apparently accidental, although authorities are continuing to investigate the circumstances surrounding the incident.
The other teenager left the apartment following the shooting and was later located by police and questioned by investigators. No criminal charges had been announced in connection with the shooting in the latest reports.
Nunez’s family, however, says questions remain unanswered, including who owned the firearm and how it came into the teenagers’ possession. His older sister, Sol Nunez, told CBS News New York that while authorities have described the shooting as accidental, the family hopes the investigation will establish precisely what happened.
Family members described John as a cheerful teenager who enjoyed spending time with friends and relatives and hoped to join the U.S. Army in the future. Flowers, candles and a memorial were placed outside the family’s Longwood home as relatives and friends gathered to remember him.
The tragedy also comes amid renewed concern about young people gaining access to firearms. Nunez’s family urged other families and teenagers to recognize the potentially deadly consequences of handling loaded weapons.
Police have not publicly established where the gun came from, and the investigation remains ongoing as detectives seek to reconstruct the events leading up to the fatal shooting.
