A young woman named Premila Lal was shot dead after she jumped out of the closet in a prank gone fatal. Whitsunday Times reports that the 18-year-old track star was at a Longmont, Colorado residence, hiding in the closet when she jumped out and got shot by 21-year-old Nerrek Galley.

In a statement to CBS Denver, the father of the victim, Praveen Lal, disclosed that that "the closet opened and I think she jumped and screamed, and he thought it was an intruder inside the closet, so that's when he pulled the trigger."

Lal had been taken to the Longmont United Hospital by two witnesses, and by Galley himself, who is said to be fully cooperating with the investigation. Meanwhile, the police had arrested Galley for "for actions unrelated to the shooting," notes Whitsunday Times. 

Police confirmed that no other angle on the investigation is being pursued, as the incident is not related to any gang violence, to drugs or to alcohol issues. A police officer working on the case remarked that, "We can characterise this young woman's death as unintended and extremely tragic."

The shooter, Nerrek Galley, is a family friend of the Lals. He was with Premila's 15-year-old brother when Premila and a cousin arrived, and conceived the prank to surprise the two. Praveen Lal recounted that his daughter and niece "somehow entered the house. And my son and Nerrek didn't know it was them. And there was an accidental shooting. After she was shot, then Nerrek realized it was Premila," he told Fox 31 Denver.  

Premila was quite a popular student in high school, graduating with a 3.87 GPA despite changing schools. Angela Lal, Pemila's mother, said the most difficult part of the fatal accident is missing her daughter.

"I was always there for my daughter. And she was always there for me. That's the hardest part I'm going to miss."