The parental guardian of a 13-year-old boy who was murdered Friday said the shooting was an accident.
Frances Zarazua said her son, 22-year-old Jesus Trevino, was showing-off his new gun when he accidentally shot Isiah Cantu in the head.
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Zarazua is Cantu's parental guardian.
"Jesus had a gun. He was showing it around. He didn't know there was a bullet in the chamber," Zarazua said. "Him and Isiah were playing around talking about the gun and stuff, and my son pulled up the gun and he pulled the thing back and it shot."
Cantu was transported to University Hospital, where he died late Friday night.
Trevino was taken in for questioning at the scene. He was arrested on a felony theft warrant before he confessed to shooting Cantu, police said.
Witnesses told police that Cantu and his stepbrother were standing in the parking lot of the Olive Tree Apartments when someone walked up to them, assaulted Cantu's step-brother, and then shot the teen.
Zarazua said that story was a lie, concocted by her son just moments after the shooting.
"He did lie at first because he was scared," she said. "He didn't know what to do."
Despite Zarazua's claim that the shooting was accidental, police said the murder charge was unlikely to change because Trevino pointed the gun at Cantu and pulled the trigger.
After the confession, the family thought he would only be charged with involuntary manslaughter.
Zarazua said her son was remorseful and ready to take responsibility for what he did.
"He said, ‘Mama I'm sorry. I didn't mean to kill him. I didn't mean to hurt him, but I have to pay for what I did.'"