The death of a 19-year-old in Santa Maria in a shooting on Christmas Day has been ruled an accident.

Officers from the Santa Maria Police Department responded shortly after 2 p.m. Dec. 25 to a residence on the 1100 block of South Russell Street regarding a report of a subject suffering from a gunshot wound.

Upon arrival, officers located a 19-year-old man who was pronounced deceased at the scene.

Police said the day after the shooting that there was no known risk to the public. 

This week, Lt. Andy Magallon confirmed that detectives determined the shooting was accidental, but said it remains under investigation.

The weapon involved in the incident was a privately manufactured firearm, Magallon said. 

The federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives defines privately made firearms, or PMFs, as those “completed, assembled or otherwise produced by a person other than a licensed manufacturer.”

Killed in the shooting was Cornelius Klomp, who was known by the nickname Cory.

A GoFundMe site, Help Honor Cory’s Memory, created to help the family with funeral expenses, had raised $4,925 as of Tuesday.

“Cory was a brave, strong 19-year-old who loved riding his BMX bike, skateboarding, mountain biking, hiking, and swimming. He was always happy and active, bringing energy and joy to everyone around him,” his girlfriend, Mayra Contreras, wrote on the GoFundMe site. 

A family member in a social media post blamed the fatal shooting on a faulty weapon.

“Cory’s passing was sudden and heartbreaking — he died from a gunshot wound, something none of us could have ever expected. The pain of losing him is overwhelming, and now we have to give him the farewell he deserves,” Contreras added on GoFundMe.