Screengrab/YouTube
An aspiring teen YouTube star accidentally shot and killed her boyfriend on Monday in a stunt gone wrong, according to a criminal complaint. The Norman County Sheriff’s Office in Minnestoa said Wednesday that Monalisa Perez, 19, shot her 22-year-old boyfriend, Pedro Ruiz III, in the chest at close range with a powerful handgun as Ruiz was holding a large encyclopedia to supposedly block the bullet.
“Me and Pedro are probably going to shoot one of the most dangerous videos ever,” Perez wrote in a tweet Monday evening before the alleged incident occurred. “HIS idea not MINE.”
According to the criminal complaint, Perez, who has been arrested, wanted to grow her YouTube following by performing daredevil stunts on camera. Perez has been charged with second-degree manslaughter, according to court documents, and could face up to 10 years behind bars. The couple have a three-year-old daughter, and Perez is pregnant with their second child. According NBC News, local officials do not plan on releasing the video showing the fatal shooting.