A Georgia mother is pleading for greater awareness about gun safety after her 19-year-old daughter was tragically killed in what police describe as an accidental shooting during a sleepover with friends. Maria Carmen Ramirez said her daughter, Nina Ramirez, lost her life early Thursday morning when a gun discharged unexpectedly at a home on Lauren Kay Court in Lawrenceville.
Police confirmed that the shooting occurred around 1:30 a.m. “She was very friendly and kind, and she always took care of other people. She was a sweet girl,” Ramirez said through tears.
According to the Lawrenceville Police Department, Nina was shot in the head by 19-year-old Sebastian Prestridge during the gathering. Investigators say the group had been passing around a firearm belonging to one of Prestridge’s friends when it went off.
“They were playing with the gun,” Ramirez said. “No one checked whether it was loaded.” Police arrested Prestridge on a charge of involuntary manslaughter. Authorities said he stayed at the scene after the shooting and cooperated fully with officers.
Despite her unimaginable loss, Ramirez said she does not harbor anger toward Prestridge. She described him as someone her daughter loved deeply and who had treated Nina with kindness. “He used to come in, and he showed that he was so nice. He showed he loved her,” Ramirez said.
The grieving mother acknowledged that it is natural to want someone to blame, but she believes the shooting was a tragic mistake rather than an intentional act. “When you get mad and these things happen, you want to find something guilty or someone guilty, but I think it was just an accident,” she said.
Now, Ramirez is using her daughter’s story to call attention to the dangers of improper gun handling. She hopes Nina’s death will remind others to treat firearms with caution and respect.
“People have to take care of the guns and store them in a safe place. It’s not okay that this kind of accident happened,” she said. Friends and family have launched a GoFundMe campaign to help cover funeral expenses and support the family during their time of grief.
Nina Ramirez’s death has left her loved ones heartbroken and the community shaken. Her mother says she wants her daughter’s memory to stand as a powerful reminder that gun safety must never be taken lightly — a message she hopes will prevent another family from enduring the same pain.