As an example, Johns pointed to a May 26 shooting, where a, 11-year-old child got ahold of their mother’s firearm and accidentally shot their 12-year-old brother in the face. Johns said the 12-year-old survived, but the bullet was within an inch of causing a fatal wound.
The major also urged residents to put their guns away while intoxicated, either on alcohol or marijuana, which played a part on the two other recent accidental shootings.
On May 21, Johns said two 18-year-olds were in the basement of one of their mother’s house smoking marijuana. They both had handguns, and started playing with them by pointing them at each other and pulling the trigger. Unfortunately, one of the guns was loaded, and Tayshawn Cobb, 18, was shot and killed.
Early June 1, two young adults were drinking and dry-firing a rifle at each other periodically throughout the night, according to Sgt. Andrew Zecchini. At one point, they heard a noise outside and loaded the firearm, but forgot about it, and when one pulled the trigger the other was shot.
“You should never point a firearm at another person and pull the trigger, be it loaded or unloaded,” Johns said.
In addition to the injuries, inflicted in the shootings, the mother from the May 26 shooting and 18-year-old from the May 21 shooting are currently facing charges, the major said. The June 1 shooting is still under investigation.
“We have enough issues in our society with gun crime from like strangers and things like that let alone to have accidental shootings,” Johns said.
Dayton police and the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office offer free gun locks, Johns said, and periodically offer gun training.
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