Gerardo Paez Jr was a 5-year-old boy from Nuevo, California, who died on March 5, 2014, from an accidental, self-inflicted gunshot wound. The shooting happened after Gerardo found a loaded gun inside his home and accidentally shot himself.

Gerardo’s uncle, Roberto Herrera, 24, was charged in connection with the incident. Authorities brought counts including child endangerment, keeping a loaded gun where children could access it, and unlawfully growing marijuana, based on findings that the firearm had not been secured. Herrera initially pleaded not guilty but later entered a plea agreement, pleading guilty to a felony battery charge and receiving probation and work release as part of the negotiated settlement.

The case was widely noted in the community as a tragic example of the consequences of unsecured firearms in homes with children. Did anyone in or around Nuevo at that time have information about how the gun was stored or accessed?