A YouTube video stunt filmed by a Minnesota couple ended in the man's death Monday and his 19-year-old girlfriend is facing manslaughter charges.
Pedro Ruiz, 22, was pronounced dead at the couple’s home around 6:30 p.m. Monday night, Fox 9 reported. Ruiz’s girlfriend, Monalisa Perez, told police that Ruiz convinced her to shoot into a book he held up to his chest and said he book would stop the bullet. He reportedly showed her another book he shot into that had not been shot through.
When she shot into the book he held in front of his chest, however, the bullet did go through and pierced his chest, killing him.
The couple was filming the stunt for YouTube in an attempt to become famous, and had filmed other stunts previously, Fox9 reported. Their pranks included putting hot pepper into someone’s sandwich and putting baby powder on a doughnut.
Perez is pregnant, and the couple’s 3-year-old daughter saw Ruiz get shot, TwinCities.com reported.
"They were in love. It was just a prank gone wrong. It shouldn’t happened like this. It shouldn’t have happened at all," Ruiz's aunt Claudia Ruiz said, according to TwinCities.com.
Perez was charged with second-degree manslaughter and is being held until a court appearance Wednesday.
Twitter users were somewhat incredulous about the story.