An 18-year-old man has turned himself in to a Texas news station on Sunday, admitting that he shot and killed his 15-year-old girlfriend but insisted it was an accident.
Sebastian Ramirez-Barcenas, of Fort Worth, was booked into the Tarrant County Jail on a charge of criminally negligent homicide in the death of Makayla Davis.
In his taped confession to CBS11 on Sunday, an emotional Ramirez-Barcenas said he loved Davis and that he did not know the shotgun was loaded.
Shooting death: Sebastian Ramirez-Barcenas, 18 (left), has been charged with criminally negligent homicide for shooting Makayla Davis, 15 (right) in the neck, killing her
Confession: Ramirez-Barcenas turned himself to the TV station CBS11 on Sunday (pictured giving an interview) while sheriff’s deputies were searching for him
The station then called the authorities, who arrived to arrest the 18-year-old suspect
According to an arrest warrant affidavit released on Tuesday – and cited by Fort Worth Star-Telegram – Ramirez-Barcenas and Davis were at her family’s house in the 5400 block of Wilson Road when the 18-year-old pulled several firearms from a closet, racked the slide on a 12-gauge pump shotgun and fired.
At the same moment, Davis entered the room and was struck by a bullet in the neck.
By the time Tarrant County Sheriff’s deputies responded to the scene, Ramirez-Barcenas had fled.
The 15-year-old victim was found lying mortally wounded in the master bedroom. She was pronounced dead at the scene.
Investigators interviewed two teenagers and a 10-year-old girl who were present at the time of the shooting, among them Makayla’s 18-year-old brother, Colton Davis.
Makayla (left and right) lost her mother to cancer in 2010. Her boyfriend said he loved her and did not mean to kill her
Colton said that after Ramirez-Barcenas fired the shot, he asked him who loaded the gun, to which the 18-year-old replied that the weapons were always loaded.
The brother said Ramirez-Barcenas then dropped the firearm and ran out of the house, sparking a manhunt that involved drones.
Mugshot: Ramirez-Barcenas is being held on $50,000 bond at the Tarrant County Jail
The next day, Ramirez-Barcenas showed up at the studios of CBS11 with two friends and gave an exclusive interview in which he admitted to shooting his girlfriend, but said it was an accident.
He described the moment the shotgun fired in his hands: ‘When I racked it back, it just went off.’
Afterwards, Ramirez-Barcenas said the only thing on his mind was: ‘I killed my girlfriend. I killed the person I love. I love her a lot. It was an accident.’
He said he fled to the woods because he did not know what else to do and was scared of Makayla’s father, Bryan Davis.
Mr Davis collapsed after his daughter’s death and was taken to a hospital, where he remained Wednesday.
Meanwhile, Makayla’s uncle, Brandon Davis, has called into question Ramirez-Barcenas’ version of events.
‘I don’t see how it’s an accident if you point a gun at someone,’ he argued.