Tayon Shelby was 17 when he was found with a gunshot wound to the head inside a parked vehicle on Sunrise Greens Drive in Sacramento on April 19, 2016. Deputies arrived after a shooting call about 6:15 p.m.; Tayon was taken to a hospital in critical condition and later died. Investigators recovered a handgun near the scene but could not determine who owned it, and they said the shooting was not gang-related.

After further investigation authorities concluded the wound was caused by an accidental discharge while Tayon was handling the gun. His mother, Adonne Shelby, disputed that finding, saying he was shot in the back of the head and was not known to carry a gun. Other teenagers were in the vehicle; only one stayed to help after the shooting, a fact Tayon’s family says raises additional questions about the circumstances.