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Racine boy killed in accidental shooting, brother charged
A Racine teen is charged with first-degree reckless homicide after he said he accidentally shot and killed his younger brother.
RACINE, Wis. - A Racine teen who pleaded no contest to first-degree reckless homicide after he said he accidentally shot and killed his younger brother, was sentenced to prison.
The teen pleaded no contest to the felony charge back in December 2025.
On Friday, Jan. 16, he was sentenced to five years in prison and five years of extended supervision, with 243 days credit.
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Racine boy killed in accidental shooting, brother pleads no contest
A Racine teen, who said he accidentally killed his younger brother earlier, pleaded guilty to homicide by negligent handling of a dangerous weapon.
Original reporting | May 2025
The backstory:
A Racine teen is charged with first-degree reckless homicide after he said he accidentally shot and killed his younger brother on Friday, May 16, 2025.
The shooting happened at a home near Howard and Prospect. Police said the victim, 11-year-old Jesus "Chu-Chu" Valladares, was taken to a hospital where he ultimately died. The victim's 16-year-old brother was arrested.
Jesus "Chu-Cho" Valladares (photo provided by family)
According to a criminal complaint, a family member heard a loud bang from a gun and went into the living room to find the 16-year-old holding a gun and Valladares on the floor, unable to breathe.
Prosecutors said other people who were home at the time told investigators they heard the gunshot and saw Valladares on the floor with a gunshot wound. They said the brothers were "close" and the 16-year-old "would not shoot" Valladares.
The 16-year-old said he was "playing with the gun" and Valladares tried to take it from him because he knew they shouldn't be playing with guns, per the complaint. He said he thought the gun had the safety on, but it went off when the 16-year-old tried to grab the gun back from his younger brother. He said the shooting was "an accident."
Dig deeper:
Court filings said, hours before the shooting, the family had been at a cemetery to celebrate the birthday of a family member who had previously passed away.
Jesus "Chu-Cho" Valladares (photo provided by family)
Prosecutors said another family member told police that the gun is "normally not loaded," but she loaded a single bullet with the intention of firing a shot into the air at the cemetery. The shot was never fired, she said, and that's why there was a bullet in the gun. She also said she threw the gun in the river.
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"For this just to happen so suddenly, was very heartbreaking to all of us," the victim’s cousin, Dolores Villarreal, said. "He was full of life [...] we were just like lost for words when we heard that he didn’t make it."
The Source: Information in this report comes from court records and prior reporting.