A 13-year-old was shot by police in an open fire in Santa Rosa, California after the teen was seen carrying a rifle, which was later found to be a replica toy of an AK-47, to town Thursday, Christianpost reported Friday.
Andy Lopez, the 13-year-old boy who was shot, was seen armed with an alleged rifle by Sonoma County deputies. Police said Lopez was even pointing the gun to several things, which made them believe that he was armed with a real weapon.
Sheriff Lt. Dennis O'Leary said the teen refused to put down the weapon when they asked him to, but Lopez refused as though challenging all of them on duty. O'Leary explained that they opted to open fire when the kid acted stubborn he was then killed by the bullets and pronounced dead on scene.
"First, I heard a single siren and within seconds I heard seven shots go off, sounded like a nail gun, is what I thought it was," neighbor Brian Zastrow, who heard the open fire against Lopez.
"The two deputies repeatedly ordered the subject to drop the rifle and at some point immediately thereafter, the deputies fired several rounds from their handguns at the subject striking him several times," according to the department. "The subject fell to the ground and landed on top of the rifle he was carrying."
After the firing, police rushed towards the young boy in hopes of rescuing him, only to find out that his rifle was simply a replica toy gun designed in such a way that it looked so much like the real thing.
In an interview for the local newspaper, Rodrigo Lopez, the 13-year-old boy's father, said that the toy gun was not even his son's, adding that it belonged to his friend.
"It's not right what they did to my son," Rodrigo despondently said on account of his son's death.
"Why did they kill him? Why?" Sujey Annel Cruz Casarez, the mother of the victim, told the Press Democrat in Spanish.
When they heard the news, friends of the family began to question why the cops had to open fire on a young boy.
"Andy was a very loved student, a very popular, very handsome young man, very smart and capable," Middle School Assistant Principal Lawrence Cook said. "Our community has been rocked by his loss."
As for Andy Lopez' friends they expressed their grief over the young boy's death and disappointment on the cops' gesture.
"We don't know the reason why they killed him; they should know if a gun is real," Katie Ontiveros, 18, said.
Meanwhile, Santa Rosa Police Lt. Paul Henry tried to explain their side, saying, "The deputy's mindset was that he was fearful that he was going to be shot."
An investigation on the case has been opened following the reported death of the 13-year-old last Thursday.
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