A 13-years-old Texas teen was fatally shot by his 'best friend' at the other boy's home in Pasadena during a tragic accident on Saturday.
The shooting happened around 1:30 p.m. Saturday while Gabriel and his 15-year-old brother, Nicholas, were visiting a friend who lives a street over.
The visit ended tragically when the surviving brother called their mother in hysterics, she recounted Sunday afternoon while surrounded by loved ones at her Pasadena home.
“I answered the phone and he’s crying. He said, ‘Gabe’s dead. They shot him in the head and he’s dead,’” she said.
“I ran over and there were people standing outside and little girls crying,” she said.
She said she saw a neighbor “doing compressions and giving him mouth to mouth.”
“I could see where the bullet had exited out of his head,” Valdez said.
Amidst the tragedy of her son's death, Valdez shared her sadness for the boy who accidentally killed him, whose name has not been released.
'He loved my son. They were best friends,' Valdez said. 'Now he’ll have to live the rest of his life knowing he killed his best friend. I feel remorse for him too… he’s a baby too.'
The boys were said to have thought the gun was unloaded because the clip had been removed.
The teen who is believed to have shot the gun lives with his grandparents, who have said they don't own a gun. Police are still investigating the incident, including the origin of the firearm, and no charges have been filed yet.
The grieving mother said she hopes that other kids learn from this experience and save themselves and others if they are facing similar situations.
“I keep telling my son’s friends who are coming over, ‘If you see a gun, just leave. If you’re hanging out with your friends and they’re talking about it and they bring it out just leave… you don’t have to be cool. Just walk away,’” she said.
