April 11, 2013, Orange County Register, Rick Warren says son shot himself with illegal gun, by Erika I. Ritchie,

April 11, 2013, Orange County Register, Rick Warren says son shot himself with illegal gun, by Erika I. Ritchie, 

LAKE FOREST – Saddleback Church pastor Rick Warren tweeted Thursday that his mentally ill son fatally shot himself with an unregistered gun he bought on the Internet.

"Someone on the Internet sold Matthew an unregistered gun. I pray he seeks God's forgiveness. I forgive him. #MATTHEW 6:15," Warren tweeted. The Bible verse he referred to reads, "But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins."

Pastor Rick Warren of Saddleback Church in Lake Forest talks in his private library in this photo from Sept. 7, 2011.
FILE: PAUL BERSEBACH, THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

Matthew Warren, who according to his father fought mental illness most of his life, shot himself Friday at his home in Mission Viejo. On Monday, the Orange County coroner's office performed an autopsy and found that the 27-year-old died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound. He was found after county sheriff's deputies went to the home to check on him.

Sheriff's Department spokesman Jim Amormino said the coroner's office is in possession of a weapon with a scratched-off serial number.

"This makes it extremely difficult, if not impossible, to trace it to the previous owner," Amormino said.

He said he would not elaborate on where Matthew Warren may have gotten the gun.

All sales of guns in California are monitored, and gun purchasers have to go through an approved gun dealer, said Michelle Gregory, a spokeswoman for the California Department of Justice. The purchase requires a record of sale, a 10-day waiting period and a background check.

Gregory said agents from the California Bureau of Firearms monitor a data system on those prohibited from owning guns and oversee legal gun-distribution locations. The bureau is not staffed to regularly monitor Internet sales.

"We're aware it goes on and try to do what we can," Gregory said. "People will advertise on Craigslist. We don't know how many of those guns get sold just hand to hand."

The Warrens have announced that Matthew's life will be celebrated in a private ceremony. They also have established the Matthew Warren Mental Health Fund.

On Monday, Rick Warren tweeted: "Grieving is hard. Grieving as public figures, harder. Grieving while haters celebrate your pain, hardest. Your notes sustained us."

He also tweeted: "We've known for years God would use us to fight mental illness, but we're protecting Matthew's right to share his own story."

Contact the writer: 949-492-5152 or eritchie@ocregister.com or twitter.com/lagunaini