Eric Vincent Apisa, a young man remembered by loved ones as outgoing, hilarious, witty, and ambitious, was 19 years old when his life was tragically cut short. Born in Las Vegas, Nevada, on February 29, 2000, to Summer Walker-Rowe and Edward Apisa, Eric was known for being a hardworking, supportive, and creative individual who always had his friends' backs. Friends and family described him as caring, loving, and the kind of person who would say, "I got you, Bro." He attended the Academy of Trades and Technology and worked in the hospitality industry at Whataburger in Albuquerque, New Mexico, the city he called home.
On the evening of April 2, 2019, Eric and some friends went to the Albuquerque home of his best friend, 18-year-old Zachary Hammond. Reports indicate the friends were there to purchase Xanax from Hammond. After the transaction in the driveway, Hammond brought out a pistol he was trying to sell.
Witnesses and Hammond himself told police that he and Eric had a history of "messing around" by pointing guns at each other. On this night, Hammond removed the magazine from the handgun and, believing it was unloaded, jokingly pointed it at Eric’s face and pulled the trigger.
The gun, however, still had a bullet in the chamber. It fired, striking Eric in the forehead. His friends rushed him to a nearby hospital, where he was placed in critical condition. For three days, Eric fought for his life, but he succumbed to his injuries and passed away on Friday, April 5, 2019. The cause of death was a single gunshot wound to the head.
While his friends were at the hospital with Eric, Zachary Hammond fled the scene and hid the gun. After hiding from authorities for several days, he turned himself in to the Albuquerque Police Department on the day his best friend died. Hammond was arrested and charged with involuntary manslaughter and tampering with evidence. Investigators determined that he had failed to check the chamber or engage the safety on the weapon before pointing it at Apisa. Despite the serious charges and a prosecutor's concern about the alleged drug deal preceding the shooting, Hammond was released on his own recognizance with GPS monitoring due to his lack of a prior criminal history.
The case concluded in late 2019. Zachary Hammond accepted a plea deal, pleading guilty to the charge of involuntary manslaughter. At his sentencing hearing, Eric's family had the opportunity to speak about their profound loss. His mother, Summer Apisa-Walker, addressed the court, expressing the unending grief her family now endures. “I’m serving a life sentence, we all are," she said. "It’s really not gonna make Eric come back, it’s not gonna take it back and it doesn’t make our pain any lighter. It’s going to allow us an opportunity to heal though.”
Following the plea agreement, a judge sentenced Zachary Hammond to the maximum term of five years in prison for killing his friend. The tragic and senseless death of Eric Apisa serves as a devastating reminder of the irreversible consequences of treating firearms with anything less than the utmost seriousness and care.
