A 17-year-old aspiring rapper lost his life in a tragic accident on Sunday, May 15th, according to The New York Post. The teenager died from an accidental self-inflicted gunshot wound while filming a video for social media.
Police have not released the name of the dead, but social media footage identified him as Suffolk-based rapper Rylo Huncho. The circulating video reportedly shows Huncho singing and dancing with a handgun equipped with a laser sight. In the disturbing clip, Huncho appears to manipulate the firearm and point it towards his head. A gunshot is heard, and the camera falls, capturing no further details of the incident.
Authorities are investigating the incident, but all indications suggest it was an unintentional act. The tragedy has left a community in mourning. A GoFundMe page has been established to support Huncho's mother during this difficult time.
"He was her only son!" A cousin of the rapper wrote in the post. "She was a single parent but took care of her son the best she could."
"Suicide or accident was the cause of his death, and we are still trying to figure out why. But anything, I mean anything, can help her at this time of need," the cousin wrote.
"It was always her and her son."
Gun culture in the United States is a multifaceted issue that becomes even more concerning when considering its impact on children and teenagers.
According to a Pew Research Centre analysis of the latest annual mortality statistics from the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), guns are the leading cause of death for children and teens in the United States. In 2021, 2,590 children and teens under 18 died from gun violence, which is a 46% increase from 2019.
In 2021, 54% of all gun-related deaths in the US were suicides (26,328), while 43% were murders (20,958), according to the CDC. The remaining gun deaths that year were accidental (549), involved law enforcement (537), or had undetermined circumstances (458).
