Toddler Shoots Teen After Loading Gun
Tuesday, January 6, 2009 7:41 AM
By Stephanie Mennecke
"He knew it was wrong. He'd seen guns loaded and shot before, but he's never seen the carnage it makes when it hits. He knows it now," said Crisp.
The boy, Ethan, was mad that the 18-year-old was stepping on his toes. Ethan announced that he was going to get a gun, which everyone in the room thought would be a toy.
Instead, Ethan loaded a 20-gauge shotgun and fired.
"I was in the kitchen, (and) I heard something go off. I dropped to the floor. (I) got up and heard my best friend say call 9-1-1," said Ethan's Uncle Brandon Fisher.
Fisher was also hit with BB's from the shotgun shell, but he was not as seriously injured as the target, 18-year-old Nathan Beavers.
Crisp says the family has hunted for years, and guns are a normal part of their life.
Sheriff John Shasteen says he's never seen anything like this.
"We can't charge a 4-year-old with anything. We'll talk to the prosecutor about possibly charging parents or babysitter," said Shasteen.
He also reminds people that children should never have any access to guns in their home.
After the shooting, Ethan knew he had done something wrong. He continually told police that he didn't want to go to jail.
Nathan Beavers is recovering at OSU Medical Center.
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