Perez and her boyfriend, 22-year-old Pedro Ruiz III, planned the stunt for their YouTube series, in which they filmed each other playing pranks and putting themselves in dangerous situations. Previous video footage shows they were eager to build their online following and find fame.
The New York Times reports that it was Juiz who convinced Perez to take part in the stunt, which involved her shooting him using a .50 calibre Desert Eagle handgun through a thick book he held to his chest.
Ruiz had previously tested the stunt on a different book, and the bullet hadn’t gone all the way through. Tragically, when Perez fired the gun, it did. Perez called an ambulance but Ruiz died shortly after the bullet punctured his chest.
Before the incident, Perez, who has two children, had tweeted her reservations about shooting “one of the most dangerous videos ever.” She hasn't tweeted since.
Now, Perez has entered a plea bargain at a Minnesota court, pleading guilty to second-degree manslaughter. According to local media reports, she is expected to spend 30 days in jail every year for three years, serving the rest of her sentence on electronic home monitoring.
She is expected to be sentenced in February.
