US resident Monalisa Perez will serve several months in jail after being found guilty of second degree manslaughter after a YouTube prank went badly wrong.

Perez had been dating her boyfriend, Pedro Ruiz, for five years at the time of the incident. Ruiz encouraged her to fire a Desert Eagle handgun at his chest from 30 centimetres away, convinced that a hardback book held to his chest would protect him. It did not, and the bullet killed him.

Not only was the incident filmed, but it was also witnessed by their three-year-old daughter. Perez was also pregnant with their second child at the time.

Why?

The pair had filmed several YouTube videos in the run up to the accident, and Perez tweeted prior to filming that: “Me and Pedro are probably going to shoot one of the most dangerous videos ever. His idea, not mine.”

Ruiz had previously told a family member that they were making the video “because we want more viewers” and “want to get famous”, TechSpot reports.

Norman County Attorney James Brue said: “This foolish stunt was dreamed up, planned and executed by Pedro Ruiz, and the defendant wrongfully and tragically relied on his assurances that the stunt was safe".

Perez was sentenced to 180 days behind bars, although it will alternate between 10 days in jail and 10 days at home. She is also banned from owning guns for life and is prohibited from profiting from the case.