A 19-year-old Georgia resident, Sebastian Prestridge, is currently in custody following an incident where he allegedly shot his girlfriend, Nina Ramirez, in the head during a sleepover at her residence. The incident took place after midnight on a recent Thursday, leading to Prestridge being charged with involuntary manslaughter.
The tragic event unfolded in Lawrenceville, Georgia, where Ramirez, also 19, was shot in her family home. According to Ramirez’s mother, who spoke to a local ABC affiliate, the couple was “playing” with a firearm they didn’t know was loaded.
Lawrenceville Police Department officers responded to a call reporting that a teenage girl had been shot in the head by her boyfriend. Arriving at the scene before 1:30 a.m., they discovered Ramirez with a gunshot wound to her head. Emergency medical personnel declared her dead at the scene.
Prestridge was present when the police arrived and remained cooperative throughout their investigation. He was subsequently detained and charged with one count of involuntary manslaughter.
Ramirez’s mother, Maria Carmen Ramirez, revealed to the local news station that her daughter and Prestridge were part of a sleepover at her home, along with a group of other friends. They were reportedly passing around a firearm that belonged to one of the friends, unaware that it was loaded.
Despite the tragic circumstances, Maria Carmen Ramirez expressed no anger towards Prestridge, stating that he loved her daughter. She believes the incident was an accident, saying, “When you get mad and these things happen, you want to find someone guilty, but I think it was just an accident.”
Captain Dena Pauly of the Lawrenceville Police Department expressed her condolences in a Facebook post, describing the incident as “an incredibly tragic situation,” and extending her sympathies to the victim’s family and loved ones.
Prestridge is currently detained at the Gwinnett County Jail without bond.