An Arizona man has been found not guilty of all charges in the shooting death of his high school football teammate. Peter Clabron, then 18, was arrested in May 2023 for the fatal shooting of Jeremiah Aviles, also 18, at Aviles' Mesa home. Clabron, now 21, was acquitted on Wednesday of manslaughter, negligent homicide, and unlawful discharge of a firearm.
Jurors deliberated for about an hour before returning the unanimous not guilty verdict. Clabron was visibly emotional as the verdicts were read. The trial, which began on June 9, focused on who was holding the gun when Aviles was shot.
Prosecutors argued that Clabron recklessly handled a loaded gun while intoxicated and shot Aviles. They relied heavily on the testimony of Champ Gennicks, another teen who was present in the room. Gennicks testified that Clabron was "fiddling with a gun" when it discharged, and that Clabron appeared surprised when the shot was fired. Investigators also presented video evidence they said showed Clabron handling and pointing a firearm at Aviles prior to the shooting, along with allegations of reckless gun use in the hours leading up to the incident.
The defense countered that Gennicks's testimony was unreliable and that forensic evidence contradicted the prosecution's narrative. Attorneys for Clabron argued that the state's case was built on inconsistent testimony rather than definitive forensic proof. They pointed to discrepancies between Gennicks's account of the shooting and autopsy findings, including bullet trajectory and blood-pattern evidence. The defense also highlighted the lack of gunshot residue testing and questioned whether the firearm could have misfired.
Court documents from the initial investigation revealed that Clabron and a witness initially provided investigators with false information, attempting to blame a person who was not present at the time of the shooting. The prosecution pushed back against the defense's theory that a third teen, Hector Hernandez, fired the fatal shot, arguing Hernandez was in the bathroom when the gun went off and later fled the scene without the weapon. Hernandez died by suicide in 2025.
Aviles was described during vigils and memorials as a talented and disciplined athlete with a promising future in football. He died just weeks before graduating high school. His death sparked widespread grief in Mesa, with friends and teammates remembering him as driven, loyal, and full of promise. His father, Omar Sr., had previously expressed his dismay, stating that if Clabron had come forward sooner, the tragedy could have been avoided. Aviles's sister, Bethany, called the incident a "betrayal," noting Clabron was her brother's best friend.
For Aviles's loved ones, the not guilty verdict does not bring closure but represents another painful chapter. While Clabron is now free, the trial leaves the fundamental question of what precisely occurred in the bedroom on the early morning of May 7, 2023, unanswered.