A 14-year-old boy was shot and killed by his father at a shooting range in Sarasota, Florida, according to the local sheriff’s office.
The incident, described as an accidental shooting, took place on 3:15 p.m. local time Saturday at the High Noon Gun Range, the Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office said.
The victim was identified as Stephen J. Brumby. He was taken to Sarasota Memorial Hospital and later died as a result of his injuries, the sheriff’s office said.
“Based on witness statements as well as video obtained from inside the business, detectives determined that Brumby died as a result of an accidental gunshot by his father,” reads a statement from the office.
The father was identified as William C. Brumby, 64, who was standing in the last shooting lane where there was a solid wall on his right side. He fired a round and the spent shell casing hit the wall and went down the back of his shirt.
“Brumby then used his right hand, which was holding the handgun, in an attempt to remove the casing. While doing so, he inadvertently pointed the firearm directly behind him and accidentally fired,” officials said.
The round hit Stephen, and it was in the vicinity of his 24-year-old son and 12-year-old daughter. The two weren’t injured.
No charges were filed against Brumby, but an investigation is ongoing.
The family tried to “set the record straight,” saying William Brumby’s “gun fired up” and the “bullet hit the ceiling and ricocheted down, hitting Stephen,” according to WFTS reporter Kera Mashek.
The family described the incident as a “tragic, freak accident,” according to Mashek. The owner of the gun shop agreed.
A GoFundMe page was set up for the boy’s family. Stephen “loved fishing, tennis music, archery, and knife throwing. He had an insatiable appetite to learn and was constantly sharing his wisdom with those around him,” the page read.
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