Ivan Gomez was a 12-year-old seventh grader from Firebaugh, California, who died on February 3, 2019, after a .25-caliber semi-automatic handgun discharged while he was visiting a friend’s house near Belmont and Fairfax Avenues. The shooting occurred about 12:30 PM. Ivan’s mother was in Mendota at the time; he and a 13-year-old friend somehow gained access to the firearm. Medics attempted to revive Ivan but he was pronounced dead at the scene.

Fresno County Sheriff’s investigators and Mendota police traced the gun back to an original owner who said they had no connection to the property where the shooting happened. Investigators believed the handgun had changed hands several times and had difficulty identifying the last person to possess it. Authorities treated the death as a tragic accident; children’s parents were not charged, though officials said charging whoever negligently stored the firearm remained a possibility.

Ivan was remembered as an energetic, well-liked student who loved sports. The Mendota Unified School District offered grief counseling and a GoFundMe was established to help with funeral costs. Does anyone have information about how the handgun moved between owners before that day?