A 13-year-old boy carrying a replica assault rifle
has been shot dead by police in the US state of
California.
Officers in the city of Santa Rosa say they opened fire
after the boy refused orders to drop the rifle, which
they believed to be real.
The shooting on Tuesday is now being investigated.
It comes a day after a 12-year-old boy in Nevada
gunned down a maths teacher at his school and
wounded two fellow pupils before taking his own life.
In the latest incident, two sheriff's deputies saw the
teenager "with what appeared to be some type of rifle",
a news release from the Sonoma County Sheriff's office
said.
The deputies called for backup and repeatedly ordered
the boy to drop the gun before firing several rounds
from their handguns, police said.
Witnesses in Santa Rosa said they heard several shots
The boy, who was pronounced dead at the scene, was
later identified by his family as Andy Lopez.
His father, Rodrigo Lopez, said the replica gun had
belonged to a friend.
The sheriff's office said a plastic handgun had also been
found in the boy's waistband.
Witness Brian Zastrow told the Santa Rosa Press
Democrat he heard seven shots.
"First, I heard a single siren and within seconds I heard
seven shots go off, sounded like a nail gun," he said.
Police Lt Dennis O'Leary said the deputies had been
placed on administrative leave pending the inquiry.
Sheriff Steve Freitas described the shooting as a
"tragedy" and promised the investigation would be
thorough and transparent.
"As a father of two boys about this age, I can't begin to
imagine the grief this family is going through," he said.
A spokeswoman for the boy's school described him as
"a very loved student, a very popular, very handsome
young man, very smart and capable".
The replica gun resembled an AK-47, experts said
Linsey Gannon, assistant principal at Lawrence Cook
Middle School, said he played trumpet in the school
band.
"Our community has been rocked by his loss," she
said.
Candles, teddy bears and flowers have since been left
at the scene of the shooting.
On Monday, a 12-year-old boy who has not been
named opened fire at a school in Sparks, Nevada,
killing maths teacher and Afghanistan veteran Michael
Landsberry.
Police said Mr Landsberry had tried to coax the boy to
drop the gun, enabling children in the playground to
flee.
The boy then shot and injured two fellow pupils, before
taking his own life on the outdoor basketball court.
President Barack Obama has recently renewed calls for
changes to US gun laws following a series of deadly
shootings. However, the BBC's Alastair Leithead in Los
Angeles says the proposals face fierce resistance.
has been shot dead by police in the US state of
California.
Officers in the city of Santa Rosa say they opened fire
after the boy refused orders to drop the rifle, which
they believed to be real.
The shooting on Tuesday is now being investigated.
It comes a day after a 12-year-old boy in Nevada
gunned down a maths teacher at his school and
wounded two fellow pupils before taking his own life.
In the latest incident, two sheriff's deputies saw the
teenager "with what appeared to be some type of rifle",
a news release from the Sonoma County Sheriff's office
said.
The deputies called for backup and repeatedly ordered
the boy to drop the gun before firing several rounds
from their handguns, police said.
Witnesses in Santa Rosa said they heard several shots
The boy, who was pronounced dead at the scene, was
later identified by his family as Andy Lopez.
His father, Rodrigo Lopez, said the replica gun had
belonged to a friend.
The sheriff's office said a plastic handgun had also been
found in the boy's waistband.
Witness Brian Zastrow told the Santa Rosa Press
Democrat he heard seven shots.
"First, I heard a single siren and within seconds I heard
seven shots go off, sounded like a nail gun," he said.
Police Lt Dennis O'Leary said the deputies had been
placed on administrative leave pending the inquiry.
Sheriff Steve Freitas described the shooting as a
"tragedy" and promised the investigation would be
thorough and transparent.
"As a father of two boys about this age, I can't begin to
imagine the grief this family is going through," he said.
A spokeswoman for the boy's school described him as
"a very loved student, a very popular, very handsome
young man, very smart and capable".
The replica gun resembled an AK-47, experts said
Linsey Gannon, assistant principal at Lawrence Cook
Middle School, said he played trumpet in the school
band.
"Our community has been rocked by his loss," she
said.
Candles, teddy bears and flowers have since been left
at the scene of the shooting.
On Monday, a 12-year-old boy who has not been
named opened fire at a school in Sparks, Nevada,
killing maths teacher and Afghanistan veteran Michael
Landsberry.
Police said Mr Landsberry had tried to coax the boy to
drop the gun, enabling children in the playground to
flee.
The boy then shot and injured two fellow pupils, before
taking his own life on the outdoor basketball court.
President Barack Obama has recently renewed calls for
changes to US gun laws following a series of deadly
shootings. However, the BBC's Alastair Leithead in Los
Angeles says the proposals face fierce resistance.
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