FATAL FEAT

Woman Who Shot Boyfriend in Botched YouTube Stunt Is Jailed

Wrongly believed a thick book would stop a bullet.

A Minnesota woman who killed her boyfriend in a botched YouTube stunt—in which she fired a gun at his chest, believing a thick book he was holding up would protect him—has been sentenced to six months in prison. Monalisa Perez, now 20, was asked by Pedro Ruiz, 22, to carry out the stunt in the hope of it going viral, but the bullet pierced the 1.5 inch-thick book and fatally wounded him. Perez pleaded guilty to second-degree manslaughter and further punishments will include a lifetime ban from owning firearms, 10 years of supervised probation, and a ban from making any kind of financial gain from the crime. Attorney James Brue said: “This foolish stunt was dreamed up, planned, and executed by Pedro Ruiz, and the defendant wrongfully and tragically relied on his assurances that the stunt was safe.” Shortly before the stunt, Perez tweeted: “Me and Pedro are probably going to shoot one of the most dangerous videos ever. HIS idea not MINE.”