Police Report: Boyfriend Accidentally Shoots 19-Year-Old While Handling Gun

A Georgia teenager is behind bars after police said he shot his girlfriend in the head during a sleepover at her home.

Sebastian Prestridge, 19, has been charged with involuntary manslaughter following a fatal shooting that took place after midnight on Thursday. Prestridge’s girlfriend, Nina Ramirez, also 19, died from a gunshot wound inflicted by Prestridge at her family residence in Lawrenceville, Georgia, according to police.

In an interview with local ABC affiliate WSB, Ramirez’s mother said the two were “playing” with a gun they did not realize was loaded.

The Lawrenceville Police Department received a report that a teenage girl had been “shot in the head by her boyfriend.” Officers found Nina Ramirez with a critical gunshot wound to the head when they arrived on-site before 1:30 a.m. Emergency medical responders pronounced her dead at the location.

Prestridge was present when the authorities arrived and fully cooperated with the investigation. He was later taken into custody and charged with a count of involuntary manslaughter.

Maria Carmen Ramirez informed WSB that her daughter and Prestridge were having a sleepover with other friends at the family home. They were said to be handling a gun, belonging to one of their friends, and “playing with the gun,” unaware it was loaded.

Despite the tragic incident, Maria Carmen Ramirez expressed to WSB that she did not harbor anger towards Prestridge, emphasizing that “he loved” her daughter. She remarked, “When you get mad and these things happen, you want to find someone guilty, but I think it was just an accident.”

In a Facebook post, Captain Dena Pauly of the Lawrenceville Police Department said the events surrounding Nina Ramirez’s death were “an incredibly tragic situation, and our hearts go out to the victim’s family and loved ones.”

Prestridge is currently being held at the Gwinnett County Jail without bond.