A day of target shooting near Paulden, Arizona, ended in a fatal accident on Sunday afternoon, June 30, 2019. Angel Perez, 25, of Chino Valley, was struck in the mid-section and killed while friends were packing up on a forest service road about four miles north of Paulden. The group had just finished shooting when Jose Cruz, also 25 and from Chino Valley, placed his AR-15 on the truck tailgate believing it was unloaded. Cruz later grabbed the rifle by the empty magazine well as Perez walked toward the tailgate; the firearm discharged one round that hit Perez.

First responders were called around 3:30 p.m.; Cruz performed first aid but Perez was pronounced dead at the scene. Yavapai County Sheriff’s deputies interviewed Cruz and found no immediate signs of foul play, so Cruz was not arrested. The case remained under investigation with the county attorney potentially reviewing the circumstances for charges.

If anyone was in the Paulden area that afternoon or has information about what happened on that forest service road, please share details that might help clarify the events.