Student Who Was Shot in His Home Dies

LA PALMA —  A 15-year-old John F. Kennedy High School student died Monday morning, a day after he was shot in the head while struggling with his best friend, police said.

The family of Matthew L. Aragon had doctors at UCI Medical Center in Orange turn off life-support machines about 11 a.m. Monday, and Aragon died a short time later, according to Police Sgt. Mark Yokoyama.

Aragon’s best friend, a 16-year-old Cypress boy whose name has not been released, was being held Monday at Orange County Juvenile Hall on suspicion of voluntary manslaughter, Yokoyama said.

The suspect, an Artesia High School student, phoned 911 on Saturday from the Aragon home to tell police he had shot his friend as the pair wrestled for a .22-caliber handgun that was drawn during a quarrel, Yokoyama said. Police found Aragon about 1:30 p.m. in his bedroom on Tracy Lane, and the suspect was arrested at the scene without incident.

“They were fighting over control of the weapon, and obviously something they argued about led to the weapon being taken out in the first place,” Yokoyama said. “We’re still trying to determine the events and the argument that led up to the struggle. . . . It doesn’t look like the shooter was attempting to shoot the victim.”

Yokoyama said police are seeking the voluntary manslaughter charge because the fatal shooting took place “during a crime--the fight--and that meets the requirements of the law.”

The gun police believe was used in the shooting was one of two handguns seized from Aragon’s room, and both weapons are registered to the boy’s parents, Yokoyama said.

A state law that punishes parents whose children are injured or killed with unattended firearms applies only to cases where the youngster is younger than 14.

Police said they also discovered two inert hand grenades and a pair of live pipe bombs, which were deactivated at the home by the Orange County Sheriff’s Department bomb squad. Yokoyama said the bombs were “a hobby” for the victim and have not been linked to any illegal activity beyond possession of an explosive device.

On Monday night, half a dozen bouquets of white roses, carnations and lilies covered the Aragons’ front doorstep, accompanied by cards expressing condolences.

Three friends of Aragon and his sister dropped off their own clutch of multicolored flowers, along with a poster-board card of sympathy for his family.

The three reminisced about Aragon, their smart classmate who always seemed to be on the honor roll, and who played clarinet for the school band.

Times staff writer Steve Carney contributed to this story.