A 20-year-old man has been placed Monday on probation for 10 years after admitting to causing his friend’s death while playing with a gun he didn’t realize was loaded with a bullet.
Christopher Acevedo, who has been out on bond since August, appeared in the 137th District Court with his attorney, Jim Moore, and pleaded guilty to a count of manslaughter, a second-degree felony that carries a punishment of 2 to 20 years in prison.
However, Acevedo faces up to 10 years in prison if his probation is revoked.
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He admitted to recklessly causing the death of 16-year-old Rudy Jori Romo-Ramirez at a home in the 2500 block of Cornell Street.
A probable cause affidavit stated witnesses at the scene told police investigators that Acevedo and Romo-Ramirez, who were childhood friends, were not arguing before the shooting. Instead, the two were laughing as they playfully pointed their loaded weapons at each other’s heads and applied pressure on the trigger.
Another witness told investigators that the two often played that way with loaded weapons. Several witnesses told investigators they had tried to tell the two to stop playing with their weapons.
On the night of the shooting, one of the witnesses said he pulled down Romo-Ramirez’s firearm to get them to stop the dangerous game. However, he said Acevedo continued playing with his weapon, which fired a bullet that struck Romo-Ramirez.
He was arrested July 5 and was booked into the Lubbock County Detention Center.
Later that month, Acevedo appeared in the 137th District Court.
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His attorney at the time, Kayla Staley, argued to the court that the $300,000 bond set for her client, who worked part-time for Walmart, was oppressive for an unintentional shooting. She said her client didn’t pose a risk to the community and asked court to reduce her client’s bond to $20,000.
Meanwhile, prosecutor Laura Beth Martin told the court that Acevedo’s conduct was reckless and dangerous.
The warrant filed in the case accuses Acevedo of consciously disregarding all safety considering while handling a firearm.
“This was no accidental discharge of this firearm,” Martin said.
During Monday’s plea hearing, Romo-Ramirez’s mother sat before Acevedo and told him that her son’s death had affected her family, especially her son’s siblings.
“To know that we will never see Rudy here on Earth again and that we won’t get to see him graduate in May or have kids, it has robbed a big part of my life,” she said.
Karen Romo also told Acevedo that she has struggled to accept her son’s senseless and cruel death.
“It has affected me in so many ways,” she said. “At times I feel like my child is lost and I can’t find him. It’s caused loss of memory and lots of pain and confusion.”
However, Romo said that while she may not know the exact circumstances surrounding her son’s death, she offered Acevedo her forgiveness.
“I know that we have to forgive, and I forgive you, Chris,” she said. “It’s a command of the Lord that I forgive you.”
Before adjourning for the day, Distrct Judge Philip Hays advised Acevedo to use his time on probation positively.
“Take this opportunity to do something bright and do something good in the world,” Hays told Acevedo.
This article originally appeared on Lubbock Avalanche-Journal: Probation given to suspect in July gun play death
Reporting by Gabriel Monte, Lubbock Avalanche-Journal / Lubbock Avalanche-Journal
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