“Thought it would be funny” Men shoot each other with rubber bullets, Clovis man accidentally killed with buckshot round, deputies say

FRESNO, California (KSEE/KGPE) — A 23-year-old man from Clovis was shot and killed after a bizarre shooting in Tollhouse Sunday night, deputies say. 

The Fresno County Sheriff’s department said shortly before 10:30 P.M. that they received a call regarding a person being shot and seriously injured at a home in the 28000 block of Burrough Valley Road.

When deputies arrived they performed CPR along with EMS however the 23-year-old, identified as Bradly Smith, died a short time later. 

Homicide detectives interviewed two men at the home. 30-year-old Elvis Hernandez and a second unidentified man fully cooperated during the investigation and gave the same account of what took place, according to detectives.

Detectives said the three men, who are friends, were hanging out at a house drinking alcohol. They later started handling firearms that a relative was storing at the home, investigators say. 

The unidentified man eventually went to bed and investigators say Elvis and Bradly discovered some rubber bullets and “thought it would be funny” to use a shotgun to shoot the unidentified man while he was sleeping.

According to deputies they threw a mattress on top of the unidentified man and shot the mattress. 

This startled the unidentified man causing him to wake up, according to investigators, though he was not seriously injured. Detectives say Bradly agreed that as payback, so the unidentified man could shoot him. 

Bradly put on a military-style helmet and protective vest. The unidentified man pointed a shotgun and fired a rubber bullet at Elvis, striking him. 

Bradly then told Elvis he could shoot him as well according to investigators. Elvis picked up a different shotgun than the man used and fired it at Bradly, hitting him in the upper body detectives say. 

Authorities say they quickly realized Bradly was bleeding and seriously hurt, so they dialed 911. 

Detectives discovered Bradly had not been struck by a rubber bullet, but by a round of buckshot (#00 buck).

It appears the men mistakenly loaded this type of lethal shell into the shotgun, according to deputies.

Deputies have arrested 30-year-old Elvis Hernandez of Reedley for shooting and killing Smith. Hernandez has been booked into the Fresno County Jail. He is facing a charge of involuntary manslaughter. His bail is set at $10,000