10-year-old Shelbyville boy killed in accidental shooting identified

SHELBYVILLE, KY (WAVE) - Shelbyville Police Department Sgt. Kelly Cable confirmed the identity of the 10-year-old boy shot and killed on Sunday is Erik Perez.

Officers were called to a home on Zelkova Drive around 2:20 p.m., after a getting a call that someone had been shot in the chest.

“Anytime you hear it’s a child who gets shot you get a two - three second pause,” Kelly Cable said. “Oh this is not normal, this is not right.”

Perez received first aid at the home, then later died after being taken UofL Health - Shelbyville Hospital.

As the holiday season begins, Shelby County students are dealing with the loss of their classmate, Erik .

“He was sincere, wonderful, full of hugs and filled with excitement about learning,” one Shelby County teacher said.

Shelby County schools are providing grief counseling is being provided at two schools, but realize with so much pain, more support may be needed.

”Especially for the kids that are in his class that know now he’s no longer with us, that’s got to be traumatic for them,” Cable said. “The kid you talk to everyday and played with on the playground is no longer here.“

Police say they do have the gun used in the shooting and are expected to speak with a person of interest in the case.

Investigators say they currently think the shooting was an accident, but they’ll know more after speaking with all involved.

Cable hopes the details of this story will serve as a reminder - if there children in the home, you need to keep guns locked up and out of sight.

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