LONGMONT, Colo., Sept. 9 (UPI) -- A teenage Colorado girl was shot to death by a close family friend when a prank went horribly wrong, her family says.
Premila Lal, 18, of Longmont died at a hospital Friday night after being shot at a family home by family friend Nerrek Galley, the Longmont Times-Call reported. Police said they believe Galley shot her, thinking it was an intruder when, in fact, Lal and a 12-year-old cousin had sneaked into the house to scare him and Lal's brother, the newspaper said.
"It was a prank that went bad," Lal's father Praveen said. "It is a kids' prank that went fatal."
Galley was arrested on suspicion of providing a firearm to a juvenile, child abuse and reckless endangerment, but not on any charges directly related to the shooting, the newspaper said.
Praveen Lal said his daughter and her cousin were supposed to have gone to a football game but instead went to the house the family was in the process of vacating. Galley and Praveen Lal's 15-year-old son were staying there to keep an eye on it.
The two girls entered the house and hid in a closet where they made noises to scare Galley and the teenage boy. Galley armed himself and the teenage boy and they started searching the home. They determined where the noises were coming from and Galley fired, striking the 18-year-old girl.
Galley and the others rushed Premila to a hospital where she was pronounced dead.
The family doesn't want to see Galley go to prison.
"He has got a life sentence already," said Praveen Lal, who described Galley as "like an older son to me."
