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Minnesota YouTube Stunt Kills Pedro Ruiz as Girlfriend Later Convicted of Manslaughter

Prosecutors cited culpable negligence, leading to a manslaughter plea with intermittent jail, decade-long probation, firearm prohibition, and profit restrictions.

Overview

  • In June 2017, Monalisa Perez shot Pedro Ruiz during a filmed backyard stunt intended to boost their YouTube following.
  • Perez fired a .50-calibre Desert Eagle from about a foot away at a 1.5-inch-thick encyclopaedia Ruiz held to his chest, which failed to stop the bullet.
  • Roughly 30 people, including the couple’s young daughter, were nearby as two cameras recorded the attempted stunt.
  • Perez was arrested, later pleaded guilty to second-degree manslaughter, and prosecutors described the death as the result of culpable negligence.
  • She received six months in jail to be served intermittently over three years, ten years of supervised probation, a firearms ban, and a prohibition on profiting from the incident.