Wedding officiant accidentally shoots 12-year-old grandson during ceremony | US News
A wedding officiant in Nebraska has been charged with child abuse after accidentally shooting his grandson at the ceremony.
Michael Gardner, 62, was officiating a wedding on Saturday when he decided to start the ceremony off with a bang.
The ceremony was supposed to take place at an event center in Denton, about 10 miles southwest of Lincoln. The wedding reportedly started late because somebody forgot the rings.
Gardner, a resident of Odessa, Texas, reportedly fired his Pietta Model 1860 revolver into the air in order to get the attention of the other guests.
‘When he decided to cock back the hammer of this revolver, it slipped,’ Lancaster County Sheriff’s Office Chief Deputy Ben Houchin said. ‘It shot his grandson in the left shoulder, causing an injury.’
Houchin said Gardner fired what he believed was a blank, which he made by gluing black powder into a .45 Colt casing.
‘What we believe, is the glue is what injured the child,’ Houchin said.
The chief deputy said investigators believe the shooting was accidental, and alcohol did not play a role in the incident.
‘We do not believe Michael intended to hurt his grandchild,’ Houchin said. ‘But the act was not very smart.
Investigators recovered the revolver and the spent casing from the incident.
His grandson, 12, was hospitalized with non-life-threatening injuries, but did need to be transported to another medical facility in Omaha later.
Gardner turned himself in to sheriff’s deputies on Monday morning. He was charged with child abuse, a felony charge.
‘Just another example that when playing with firearms, even if they’re blanks, bad things can certainly happen,’ Houchin said.
Earlier this year, another wedding in Nebraska ended in tragedy after a groom suffered from a blood clot just minutes after the couple said their vows.
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