THE family of Adan Llanos who fatally shot himself during a Zoom class said the 11-year-old was “not suicidal.”
Relatives of Adan who was from Woodbridge, California, said he “accidentally” took his own life during a remote learning lesson on Wednesday morning.
According to the San Joaquin County Sheriff’s Office, the young boy, who was a student at Woodbridge Elementary School, had his audio and video turned off when the gun was fired.
The boy’s uncle, Luis Llanos, took to Facebook on Thursday to remember Adam as “the most respectful and sweetest boy.”
Along with sharing a GoFundMe account, Luis wrote: “We ask of you all to please refrain from any speculation and if you see any comments politely ask them to only say positive things.
“He was not suicidal! This young man was an angel that we had the privilege of knowing!”
Luis’ wife Stephanie also posted to social media to put a stop to any talk about her nephew taking his own life.
“We are asking if anyone sees any post or comments insinuating that this incident was suicide or that our nephew was depressed, please help us shut it down,” she wrote.
“This was a freak accident and our nephew was a happy kid.
“Right now seeing those comments is what is the most hurtful to the family and I can use all the help I can get with this.”
Moments after the gun went off in Adan’s room, his sister, who had been taking a virtual class in another room in the house, walked over and found her fatally-injured brother.
She then told her teacher before finding a neighbor who called 911.
This was a freak accident and our nephew was a happy kid.
Stephanie Llanos
Adan was rushed to hospital where he later died with his parents by his side.
Lodi Unified School District shared their condolences following the news of Adan’s death and offered support for students.
“Counseling and bereavement support services are available to students and staff at this difficult time,” Superintendent Cathy Nichols-Washer wrote
“Our thoughts are with the family affected by this terrible tragedy. We also offer our condolences to the Woodbridge Elementary community.”
On Thursday morning, Adan’s aunt, Alejandra Carillo, launched a fundraising page for his funeral expenses.
In what appears to be a since-deleted post, Carillo said “today was a very difficult day for our family,” according to Metro.
She reportedly wrote: “We just lost our nephew from a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
“His name is Adan Llanos and was only 11 years old. I know Aron and Mirna are such great parents, i can’t even imagine what they are going threw. [sic]”
An investigation remains underway to confirm what exactly took place in Adan’s bedroom when took his own life.
Paul Warren, the support director at Adan’s school, said he has seen an increase in the number of anxious and depressed students.
He explained that many students struggled as the pandemic left them unable to socialize with friends and disrupted their routines, the outlet reported.
If you or someone you know is affected by any of the issues raised in this story, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 800-273-TALK (8255) or text Crisis Text Line at 741741.
