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Family mourns death of 13-year-old accidentally shot by best friend

Police said the teens were playing with a gun when the shooting happened.

DULUTH, Ga. — Friends and family are mourning the loss of a teenager who was shot while playing with a gun with a friend, his godmother told 11Alive. 

Jair Gonzalez, 13, was playing with the gun while on FaceTime with another friend, police said. 

"It feels like half my life was taken from me, a huge part of my life has been taken from me," the boy's mother Ana Rodriguez said. 

The incident happened Wednesday at around 5:30 p.m. at the Portico Apartments located at 2110 Preston Park Drive in unincorporated Duluth. Police say the teens were playing with guns that were located in Gonzalez's apartment. 

Rodriguez said her baby was a "blessing" and that "If you were having a bad day, Jair would lighten it up." 

According to the child's godmother, the other teen, a 14 year old, ran to get help and found a nurse who lives at the complex. The nurse rendered CPR until authorities arrived. 

Police said when they responded, they found Jair bleeding heavily from a gunshot wound. He was immediately rushed to a nearby hospital where he died as a result of his injuries.

Jair's mother says the other boy is now getting death threats as other teens blame him for the death. 

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The friend is being charged as a juvenile with reckless conduct and his name is not being released, police said.

The teens both attend Duluth Middle School. The principal, Deborah Fusi, sent a letter home with parents informing them of the incident. 

"We learned late last night that one of our eighth-grade students was killed last night," she said in the letter. "While this tragic incident did not occur at school, we wanted to make sure you were aware of this loss so that you can better help your child through this difficult time."

She said the news was shared with faculty so that the teachers could have "factual information" in case the students had questions. 

Additional counselors are also on campus available to speak with students.

"As you know, this is a very caring community, and I know your thoughts and prayers will be with our students, our families, and our school during this difficult time," Fusi said. 

A memorial was held at the apartment complex on Thursday, where friends, family and classmates gathered to mourn and comfort one another.

Credit: La'Tasha Givens/WXIA

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