Young Victim of Hunting Accident Is Mourned

Funeral services were held Thursday for Adam Zavalza, the 8-year-old Whittier boy who died Saturday afternoon when his father’s gun went off accidentally while the two hunted for deer in Cleveland National Forest in Orange County.

About 150 mourners gathered at the service, held at St. Mary’s of Assumption Church, remembering Adam as a “loving, happy boy,” in the words of one eulogist.

Many expressed hope that Adam’s father, Rafael Zavalza, would not blame himself for his son’s death. The accident occurred when Rafael Zavalza, with his son following close behind, slipped and fell backward. According to family members, the father’s rifle struck a rock and went off, killing the boy. The Orange County Sheriff’s Department would not comment Thursday on its investigation.

“I just feel so sorry for the dad, but it’s not his fault. . . . It was an accident. We all pray for him,” said Pat DelCampo, a close family friend.

Father Enrique Lopez urged the audience to try to learn from the tragedy. Noting the strength of the Zavalza family, which he said showed “no bitterness toward God,” he said the audience could take “a lesson about simple faith” from how the family chose to grieve.