In a west Phoenix motel room on August 11, 2016, a tragic and unforeseen event cut short the life of 20-year-old Rosario Soto Leon. What began as a moment between him and his girlfriend, Gabriella Hardee, ended in his untimely death. The couple was in their room at a Motel 6 near McDowell Road and 52nd Drive when the fatal incident occurred.
Hardee was handling a rifle, playfully straddling Leon, when the weapon discharged. A single shot struck Leon in the face, killing him instantly.
The suddenness of the act left little time for comprehension, only the stark reality of what had just transpired. Police were called to the scene, and an investigation into the circumstances of the shooting began.
In the aftermath, Gabriella Hardee was taken into custody by the Phoenix police. According to police documents, Hardee had some familiarity with firearms, having handled a handgun before and having witnessed Leon handle and discharge the rifle in the two and a half weeks he possessed it. Investigators determined that based on her knowledge that the weapon was typically loaded and her careless handling of it, she was responsible for his death. Hardee was subsequently charged with negligent homicide.
