Posing with a gun for a photo
PHOENIX - Police say while a group was posing and taking pictures with a gun, it went off.
Authorities say a 19-year-old girl accidentally shot the victim, 22-year-old Manuel Ortiz, who also happens to be her brother.
A call was placed to 9-1-1 about shots fired and officers say three to five people were in apartment near 27th Avenue and McDowell.
One woman who was in the apartment at the time of the shooting told FOX 10 through her tears that this was just a horrible accident.
Police say Ortiz arrived at the apartment with his sister early Monday morning. They were partying and drinking. At about 6 a.m., they decided to pose for pictures with the gun, which went off while the 19-year-old was holding it.
A witness at the scene told authorities that the bullet hit Ortiz in the head. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
Residents at the Shady Tree apartment complex say it was a horrible scenario: drinking and guns -- they were not surprised by what happened.
One woman said, "..especially drinking at 5 o'clock in the morning with a handgun..they shouldn't have any type of weapons in their hands if they're drunk."
The 19-year-old was taken to Phoenix Police headquarters downtown and questioned. She has since been released.
"Every New Year's Eve..this particular sister is going to be thinking about this for the rest of her life on how...again...on New Year's Eve, drinking overnight, playing with a gun and now shoots and kills her brother," said Phoenix Police Sgt. Steve Martos.
The case is still under investigation and it is not known if the people in the apartment knew the gun was loaded.
Authorities are looking into who owns the gun and say Ortiz's sister could face manslaughter charges. Her name was not released.
