Post by KingsoftheGridiron on Jun 20, 2011 12:25:42 GMT -5
www.journal-news.net/page/content.detail/id/563391/Teenage-boy-killed-in-mishap.html?nav=5006
"HEDGESVILLE - A family's session of backyard target practice turned to tragedy Saturday evening, when a 13-year-old boy was killed by what appears to be an accidental gunshot wound to the head, police said.
Emergency personnel responded to 1720 Fulton Road, Hedgesville, at approximately 6:30 p.m. Saturday, and the victim was deceased when responders arrived, said Tony Link, chief deputy with the Morgan County Sheriff's Department. The home is in Morgan County near the Berkeley County line.
The suspect in the shooting is the victim's father, 51-year-old William Butler, police said. Butler's 12-year-old daughter also was at the residence at the time of the incident.
"Right now we're going to charge him with murder," Link said at the scene.
It was unclear what degree of murder Butler will be charged with, or if the charges will be changed to manslaughter, as the prosecutor will likely make that determination, Link added.
Butler apparently had taken his son to the backyard to shoot handguns, Link said. The father went down to a woodpile and told the boy, who'd never handled a gun before, where to shoot.
"He said he heard a gunshot and felt like the boy was shooting at him so he spun around and fired a shot back," Link said.
Two handguns were recovered from the scene, a small caliber revolver and a semiautomatic handgun, but officers are unsure which weapon was used in the accidental shooting.
They will have to wait on the results of an autopsy to determine that information, Link said.
Units responding to the scene included the Morgan County Sheriff's Department, the West Virginia State Police Crime Scene Team, a police officer from the Town of Bath and Morgan County Emergency Medical Services personnel.
Additional details on the incident will be available Monday, Link said."
"HEDGESVILLE - A family's session of backyard target practice turned to tragedy Saturday evening, when a 13-year-old boy was killed by what appears to be an accidental gunshot wound to the head, police said.
Emergency personnel responded to 1720 Fulton Road, Hedgesville, at approximately 6:30 p.m. Saturday, and the victim was deceased when responders arrived, said Tony Link, chief deputy with the Morgan County Sheriff's Department. The home is in Morgan County near the Berkeley County line.
The suspect in the shooting is the victim's father, 51-year-old William Butler, police said. Butler's 12-year-old daughter also was at the residence at the time of the incident.
"Right now we're going to charge him with murder," Link said at the scene.
It was unclear what degree of murder Butler will be charged with, or if the charges will be changed to manslaughter, as the prosecutor will likely make that determination, Link added.
Butler apparently had taken his son to the backyard to shoot handguns, Link said. The father went down to a woodpile and told the boy, who'd never handled a gun before, where to shoot.
"He said he heard a gunshot and felt like the boy was shooting at him so he spun around and fired a shot back," Link said.
Two handguns were recovered from the scene, a small caliber revolver and a semiautomatic handgun, but officers are unsure which weapon was used in the accidental shooting.
They will have to wait on the results of an autopsy to determine that information, Link said.
Units responding to the scene included the Morgan County Sheriff's Department, the West Virginia State Police Crime Scene Team, a police officer from the Town of Bath and Morgan County Emergency Medical Services personnel.
Additional details on the incident will be available Monday, Link said."