In a heart-wrenching incident on the evening of September 2, 2024, an 8-year-old Hispanic boy named Sergeant “Sargy” Rosales tragically lost his life in Lehi, Utah. The young boy was alone in a minivan in the parking lot of a Maverick gas station on Thanksgiving Way when the incident occurred. While his mother, Jennifer Marie Pu'u, was inside the convenience store, Sargy discovered a loaded handgun that was left unsecured under a seat in the vehicle.
At approximately 7:39 p.m., he accidentally shot himself in the head.
Bystanders and police officers who responded to the scene performed life-saving measures before the child was rushed to a local hospital in extremely critical condition. He was subsequently airlifted to another hospital for more advanced care. Despite the efforts to save him, Sargy succumbed to his injuries and passed away on the morning of Tuesday, September 3, 2024. The shooting was determined to be unintentional and self-inflicted.
Family members described Sargy as being autistic. His uncle, Ramiro Rosales, expressed the family's profound grief and shock over the sudden loss. In the wake of the tragedy, Sargy's father's family has advocated for the implementation of a safe storage law for firearms in Utah.
Following an investigation into the circumstances of the shooting, Sargy's mother, 44-year-old Jennifer Marie Pu'u, was charged in December 2024 with manslaughter, a second-degree felony, and abuse or neglect of a child with a disability, a third-degree felony. Charging documents revealed that Pu'u had a history of leaving firearms unsecured. The boy's father had reportedly raised concerns about this practice during their marriage. A therapist who had worked with Sargy told investigators that the boy had no concept of the danger a real gun posed and that he had previously seen unsecured handguns in Pu'u's home within easy reach of children.
