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YouTube prankster jailed for shooting boyfriend dead | YouTube prankster jailed for shooting boyfriend dead |
(about 2 hours later) | |
A US woman has been sentenced to six months' imprisonment for shooting dead her boyfriend in a botched stunt they hoped would go viral on YouTube. | |
Monalisa Perez, now 20, was asked by Pedro Ruiz, 22, to fire a gun from a foot (30cm) away, believing a thick book he held in front of his chest would shield him. | |
The bullet pierced the 1.5in book, fatally wounding Ruiz last June. | The bullet pierced the 1.5in book, fatally wounding Ruiz last June. |
Perez, a mother of two, later pleaded guilty to second-degree manslaughter. | Perez, a mother of two, later pleaded guilty to second-degree manslaughter. |
What are Perez's sentencing terms? | What are Perez's sentencing terms? |
Minnesota Judge Jeffrey Remick set out the terms agreed under plea bargaining on Wednesday. Perez will: | |
The sentencing is below state guidelines but Norman County Attorney James Brue said "the reality [is] that this foolish stunt was dreamed up, planned and executed by Pedro Ruiz, and the defendant wrongfully and tragically relied on his assurances that the stunt was safe". | |
What did the couple want to achieve? | What did the couple want to achieve? |
Perez and Ruiz had been documenting their everyday lives in Halstad, Minnesota, by posting videos of their pranks to a YouTube channel in a quest for internet fame. | |
They had filmed some minor pranks, which seemed relatively harmless. | They had filmed some minor pranks, which seemed relatively harmless. |
And there was little indication of how far they were prepared to go in order to become online celebrities until the fatal stunt on 26 June 2017. | And there was little indication of how far they were prepared to go in order to become online celebrities until the fatal stunt on 26 June 2017. |
On that day Perez fired a powerful Desert Eagle handgun from close range, as Ruiz held an encyclopaedia in front of his chest. | On that day Perez fired a powerful Desert Eagle handgun from close range, as Ruiz held an encyclopaedia in front of his chest. |
He had experimented previously and thought the thick book would protect him, but the couple's three-year-old child and nearly 30 onlookers watched as she fired a fatal bullet. | He had experimented previously and thought the thick book would protect him, but the couple's three-year-old child and nearly 30 onlookers watched as she fired a fatal bullet. |
Perez called 911 to report she had accidentally shot her boyfriend. | Perez called 911 to report she had accidentally shot her boyfriend. |
Ruiz was pronounced dead at the scene at their home. | |
Perez was pregnant with their second child at the time of the shooting. | Perez was pregnant with their second child at the time of the shooting. |