In a harrowing case that underscores the extreme lengths some will go for online fame, a pregnant vlogger shot and killed her boyfriend during a YouTube stunt that went catastrophically wrong.
The Fatal Quest for Online Fame
Monalisa Perez, then seven months pregnant, and her partner Pedro Ruiz, both in their early twenties, were dedicated to documenting their lives online. Based in the small town of Halstad, Minnesota, the couple shared their relationship and parenting journey with their three-year-old daughter, Aaliyah, on YouTube, hoping to build a substantial following.
Their content ranged from family outings to increasingly risky dares. In June 2017, their pursuit of viral fame culminated in a planned stunt that Pedro believed would boost their subscriber count. Despite pleas from his horrified aunt, Claudia Ruiz, Pedro was determined. "Because we want the viewers. We want to be famous," he told her.
A Stunt Built on Deadly Misjudgement
On the evening of the incident, the couple set up two cameras in their backyard, with around 30 people, including their young daughter, gathered nearby. Pedro held a 1.5-inch-thick hardback encyclopedia against his chest. Monalisa stood just a foot away, armed with a powerful .50 calibre Desert Eagle handgun.
Pedro, who had mentioned the plan in a tweet minutes earlier, was convinced the book would stop the bullet, citing a previous test. Tragically, his confidence was misplaced. When Monalisa pulled the trigger, the bullet tore through the book and into Pedro's chest. He collapsed instantly and died at the scene despite the rapid arrival of an air ambulance.
Legal Repercussions and a Life Sentence of Grief
Monalisa Perez was arrested and initially charged with reckless discharge of a firearm. The charge was later upgraded to second-degree manslaughter. While awaiting trial, she gave birth to the couple's son.
In December 2017, Perez pleaded guilty, with prosecutors describing the death as the result of "culpable negligence" and entirely avoidable. Her defence argued that Pedro had orchestrated the stunt and repeatedly assured her of its safety.
The court sentenced her to six months in jail, to be served intermittently over three years so she could care for her children. She was also placed on supervised probation for 10 years, barred from owning firearms, and prohibited from profiting from the incident.
Speaking after the tragedy, Pedro's aunt Claudia Ruiz captured the senseless loss: "They were in love. It was just a prank gone wrong. It shouldn't have happened like this. It shouldn't have happened at all." This fatal social media stunt remains a stark warning about the real-world consequences of dangerous online content creation.
