Gardner Suspect/Lancaster County Sheriff’s Office
2023.10.05 Thu posted at 10:51 JST
(CNN) A 62-year-old man officiating at a wedding in the US state of Nebraska accidentally fired a handgun at the beginning of the ceremony, injuring his 12-year-old grandson.
The Lancester County Sheriff’s Office announced at a press conference on the 2nd that they had arrested Michael Gardner, 62, who officiated at a wedding in Denton, County. Around 5 p.m. local time on September 30, Gardner attempted to fire a loaded Pietta revolver into the air to get the attention of guests.
The aim was to get everyone’s attention with the gunshots and start the wedding ceremony.
However, when he pulled the trigger, his hand slipped and he shot his 12-year-old grandson in the left shoulder.
The .45 Colt bullet was a blank, but Gardner filled the cartridge with black powder and glued it, and it is believed that the boy was injured with this glue.
The boy’s injuries were not life-threatening, but he was taken to a nearby hospital and later transferred to a hospital in Omaha, California.
Gardner turned himself in on the 2nd and was arrested on suspicion of child abuse after accidentally firing a gun that injured another person.
“We don’t believe Michael (Gardner) intentionally hurt his grandson, but it wasn’t a very smart thing to do,” the sheriff’s deputy said, adding that alcohol did not appear to be involved in the incident.
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2023-10-05 01:51:00
