An Orange County Superior Court jury on Oct. 13, 2026, convicted Zachary Pickrell, 23, of involuntary manslaughter rather than second-degree murder in connection with the 2021 shooting death of Danilo Ashton Arauz Jr., 17, at Arauz's Anaheim home. As of Oct. 17, 2026 (PT), sentencing is set for Oct. 30 before Judge Patrick Donahue.

The shooting occurred in a studio at Arauz's Anaheim residence on Sept. 5, 2021; Arauz died four days later. Prosecutors alleged that Pickrell, described as a rival rapper, shot Arauz and then falsely told authorities the death resulted from a drive-by shooting. The defense, presented by public defender Adam Vining, argued the shooting was accidental and that Pickrell did not know the firearm was loaded.

The jury sided with neither the full prosecution theory nor a complete acquittal, returning a guilty verdict on the lesser charge of involuntary manslaughter. The jury also found a gun-use enhancement true. Acquittal on the second-degree murder count reflects the jury's apparent acceptance — at least in part — of the defense's accident argument, while the manslaughter conviction indicates the panel found criminal negligence in the handling of the firearm.

Pickrell faces a maximum of seven years in state prison, according to MyNewsLA. He has accumulated approximately six years of credit for time served. Defense attorney Vining has indicated he will seek a treatment program rather than additional incarceration. Senior Deputy District Attorney Juliet Oliver prosecuted the case.

This page will be updated when the Oct. 30 sentence is imposed or if any pre-sentencing developments occur.