A 13-year-old boy carrying a toy rifle was shot dead by police in the US.
Andy Lopez, was repeatedly ordered to drop the plastic replica when confronted by sheriff's deputies in Santa Rosa, California.
But when he failed to respond police opened fire.
It was not discovered that the gun was plastic until police put handcuffs on his unresponsive body and he was pronounced dead.
The boy's father, Rodrigo Lopez, said he had last seen Andy when he left for work on Tuesday.
"I told him what I tell him every day, 'behave yourself'," he said.
Andy's mother Sujey Annel Cruz Cazarez added: "Why did they kill him? Why?"
Lieutenant Paul Henry, investigating the incident for the Santa Rosa Police Department, said two sheriff's deputies were patrolling a street near the boy's home when they saw him with what appeared to be an assault weapon in his left hand.
One of the deputies shouted twice, 'Put down the gun', according to a police statement.
It went on: "The subject turned toward the deputies, and as he was doing that the barrel of the weapon was rising toward the deputies.
"The deputy then fired rounds, killing the boy."
A neighbour reported hearing seven shots fired, the teenager was pronounced dead at the scene.
According to friends and family Andy Lopez had a good sense of humour but was recently expelled from his middle school. The officers involved in the shooting are now on administrative leave, which is standard procedure, and the incident is being investigated by the Santa Rosa Police Department.