Who was Christian Petillo? Arizona dad whose son, 15, died after accidental shooting at sleepover 'b

MARICOPA COUNTY, ARIZONA: An couple who lost their teenage son to an more than a year ago are now talking about that "nightmare" and hoping death can keep others from keeping unsecured weapons. The day he dropped his 15-year-old son, Christian, off at a friend's house to spend the night was 18 months ago, but Bruce Petillo, 52, remembers it very clearly.

Christian was the youngest of -his older sister is 26 and his older brother is 24. Bruce describes his son as a "very happy" and "very inquisitive" child with a smile that "would light up a room" and a giggle that made everyone around him laugh, according to .

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What happened to Christian Petillo?

Bruce Petillo, 52, told he dropped off his 15-year-old son, Christian, for a sleepover at a friend's house in September 2021. That night, Petillo said, the boy, in whose home Christian was staying, pulled out one of the family's allegedly unlocked firearms. The 14- and 15-year-old youths in the small group allegedly began passing the gun among themselves. Eventually, the gun came loose and Christian was shot in the chest.

"After driving him over there, I stuck my hand out (the window)," Petillo said. "He grabbed my hand and our fingers interlaced." "We were sitting on the couch watching a movie," Petillo added. "A call came in at about 9.34 pm from an unknown blocked number and we let it go to voicemail. I figured they'd leave a message." 

Petillo and his wife, Claire, received a phone call from their daughter two minutes later. "Her words to me were: 'Dad, listen to me. Christian has been shot in the chest. You need to call the sheriff at this number.'" 

Claire and Bruce Petillo rushed to the nearest Level One Trauma Center, where Christian was transferred. When they arrived, a doctor briefed the parents on the situation. "She told us it didn't look good," Bruce Petillo says. "He was heading into trauma surgery. They were taking extreme measures to try and save him."

Bruce entered the hospital chapel and prayed while the parents waited. "I begged God not to take him," he adds. Soon after, Bruce and Claire were informed that their son had died.

What did Christian's parents say?

"Even to this day, 18 months later, and it still feels like a nightmare," Bruce says. "It still doesn't seem real. I'm still waiting for him to come walking in the door." His dad adds, "he was the baby. He was always well cared for."

Christian mother, Claire, 54, says, "He was a very infectious kid. He loved his friends, he was very loyal and if they ever had any issues, he was always helping." According to Claire, her son was also quite athletic and was proficient in all sports, including baseball, soccer, golf, and skating. "He was a very busy kid," she adds.

Christian's parents claim that because of his natural busyness, he found the lockdowns at the start of the COVID-19 outbreak challenging. Due to the closing of the schools at the conclusion of his eighth-grade year, their son's transition from middle to high school was lonely. Claire reports that after Christian started attending school again, her son "dealt with bullies and bullying." That is why, despite their reservations, the parents consented to allow their son to spend the night at a friend's house.

"Bruce and I thought: 'Well, you know, he's finally finding some friends and he's happy,'" Claire explains. Additionally, It never occurred to them to question the child's parents about guns in the house. "Frankly, we never thought about a gun in somebody's home," Bruce says. "We don't own guns in our house. Obviously, in hindsight, that's something we wish we (would have done)."

The couple is now attempting to teach other parents about the significance of inquiring about the presence of firearms — and the storage of weapons — when their children are in the care of others. "It's not an easy conversation to have," Bruce said. "People may feel uncomfortable with it, but it's your child's life at stake. We didn't think it could happen to us — never even thought about it — and it did." 

"Parents need to be able to have that conversation with another family," Bruce added. "Say: 'I'm just wondering, do you own guns? And if you do, are they properly secured?' It does a couple of things: One, it creates an open dialogue. It also makes everybody aware, and helps enhance accountability and responsibility for those firearms."

Bruce advises parents to "take it as a sign" if they receive a "negative response" from another set of caregivers regarding stored firearms inside the home. "It's probably not a place you want your child," he adds. "I think that the vast majority of gun owners are responsible, and the ones who own these guns and are responsible are going to say: 'Absolutely, we have it secured.'"

The pair advises parents to approach the conversation "nonchalantly" and as part of a larger discussion about the logistics of a sleepover, such as bedtimes and dietary restrictions. "Try to make it not a defensive question," Claire adds. "Just make it more of an everyday question."

The couple also encourages parents to approach the conversation in the same way that many parents do with their teens about underage drinking: "If you were drinking, don't drive — just call me. I want you home safe." "Tell them: 'If you're someplace and you see a gun, just call me — I'll come get you, no questions asked,'" Claire adds. "Those are the conversations you need to have with your kids."

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