An 18-year-old senior at Copiague High School, Wilson Gil-Torres was fatally shot at a residence on Great Neck Road in Copiague, New York, on the afternoon of Friday, March 18, 2016. He and his close friend, 18-year-old Nefi Reyes, were reportedly together when Reyes was showing Gil-Torres a .22-caliber handgun. Reyes pointed the weapon at Gil-Torres and pulled the trigger to scare him; the gun discharged and a single bullet struck Gil-Torres in the chest. A 911 call brought the Copiague Fire Department to the scene and Gil-Torres was taken to Good Samaritan Hospital Medical Center in West Islip, where he was pronounced dead.

Suffolk County police arrested Reyes and charged him with second-degree manslaughter; authorities said Reyes made an oral admission that he knew the gun was loaded but thought the safety was engaged when he pulled the trigger. Reyes pleaded not guilty and was initially held without bail. The shooting prompted vigils and memorials in Copiague, with classmates and residents describing Gil-Torres as a funny, promising young man and raising concerns about irresponsible gun handling.

Did anyone in the community have information about how the handgun came to be at the residence or circumstances leading up to that afternoon?