Earlric Sheldon Reynolds

Earlric Sheldon Reynolds III was a 13-year-old male from Phoenix, Arizona, described by his family as the "smartest, kindest and most talented young man." His loved ones, who also remembered him as funny, nice, and loving, were left devastated by his sudden and tragic death, which occurred during what began as child's play.

The incident unfolded on the afternoon of Sunday, April 7, 2024, at an apartment complex near 7th Avenue and Mountain View Road. Earlric was with 18-year-old Adolfo Villalva, and the two were playing with a Nerf gun. The playful atmosphere was shattered when Villalva introduced a real 9mm Ruger handgun. According to a statement Villalva later gave to investigators, he pointed both the toy gun and the real firearm at Earlric. He claimed he intended to pull the trigger on the Nerf gun but mistakenly fired the handgun instead, striking Earlric with a single gunshot.

First responders were initially dispatched to the scene around 1:15 p.m. for a reported stabbing. Dispatchers, however, could hear a woman in the background of the call saying her son had been shot and was bleeding from the mouth. When authorities arrived, they found Earlric in the parking lot suffering from a gunshot wound. He was rushed to a local hospital, where he died a short time later.

During the investigation, police learned that after the shooting, Villalva and two other witnesses had moved Earlric to the parking lot. Villalva also hid the handgun under a water bucket in the complex's backyard before officers arrived. He later confessed to police, telling them where the weapon was. He explained that the gun belonged to his mother and that he had taken it from her car without permission because he thought it "looked cool."

Adolfo Villalva, who had previous criminal convictions, was arrested and booked into the Maricopa County jail. He was charged with multiple felonies, including manslaughter, misconduct involving weapons, and tampering with evidence. As of April 2025, the case was proceeding through the court system. A hearing was scheduled for the following month to decide whether to move forward to a trial or accept a plea deal. Earlric’s family has publicly stated their opposition to a plea agreement, advocating for what they term "maximum accountability" and sentencing in his case.