On March 19, 2020, 13-year-old Patricio Arroyo was fatally shot at a residence near Central and Wyoming in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Arroyo was at the home with his 19-year-old cousin, Anthony Padilla, who had recently bought a shotgun and was storing it at his uncle’s house because his mother did not want firearms in her residence.

Police say Padilla was preparing to take the shotgun home for protection amid the coronavirus outbreak. He told investigators he pulled the trigger once without discharge, then racked the shotgun while walking toward the door. Believing the gun was unloaded, Padilla allegedly pointed it at Arroyo and pulled the trigger again; Arroyo was struck in the torso. Padilla reportedly urged his cousin to stay awake while waiting for first responders. Arroyo was transported to a hospital and pronounced dead; Padilla was arrested at the scene and later charged with an open count of murder.

What details about that day or the people involved might help explain how a loaded firearm ended up being handled in that home?