A happy wedding in Nebraska took an unexpected turn when the wedding officiant accidentally shot his grandson in the shoulder while attempting to persuade wedding guests to pay attention.
According to the Lancaster County Sheriff’s Office, Michael Gardner, 62, of Odessa, Texas, travelled to Nebraska on Friday to officiate a wedding. Gardner was carrying a Pietta model 1860 snub nose revolver during the ceremony and chose to fire a “blank” cartridge from the weapon into the air to attract the attention of the wedding attendees.
The rifle, however, discharged, and the blank struck his 12-year-old grandson in the left shoulder.
Wedding guests instantly dialled 911, and first responders began treating the youngster, who had a serious laceration on his left shoulder. According to authorities, he was taken to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.
An early inspection of Gardner’s handgun discovered homemade “blank” cartridges made of black powder and adhesive in the cylinder, according to police. They also discovered a loaded.45 Colt casing in the handgun.
Gardner surrendered to the Adult Correctional Facility on Monday. According to authorities, he is facing a charge of child abuse for recklessly shooting a handgun and injuring a kid. According to FOX 7, if convicted, he faces up to three years in prison and/or a $10,000 fine.
According to Chief Houchin of the Lancaster County Sheriff’s Office, while the grandfather did not want to harm his grandchild, “the act was not very smart.”
“Just another example that playing with firearms, no matter what, even if they’re blanks, bad things can certainly happen,” Houchin said in a statement to FOX Television Stations. “We do not believe Michael intended to hurt his grandchild, but the act was not very smart.”
