Wedding officiant fires gun to get attention and accidentally shoots grandson, cops say

A 62-year-old grandfather accidentally shot his grandson while officiating a wedding in Nebraska, officials say.

At about 5 p.m. Sept. 30, deputies with the Lancaster County Sheriff’s Office responded to a call about a shooting at a wedding outside of Denton, about 10 miles southwest of Lincoln, Chief Deputy Ben Houchin said during a news briefing.

According to investigators, the man was trying to get everyone’s attention by firing a snub-nosed revolver into the air. But as he drew the pistol and cocked back the hammer, he fumbled the gun and it fired, striking his 12-year-old grandson in the shoulder, Houchin said.

The gun was loaded with blanks, but still packed enough punch to seriously injure the child, according to Houchin. The blanks were homemade, filled with black powder then glued, he added.

The boy was taken to an area hospital, then transported to Omaha for further treatment, Houchin said. His injuries were not life-threatening.

“We don’t believe he intended to hurt the child … but the act was not very smart,” Houchin said.

The grandfather has been charged with felony child abuse “because of the seriousness of the injury and the use of the firearm,” he added.

Both the grandfather and grandson are from Odessa, Texas.

This story was originally published October 2, 2023 at 10:00 AM with the headline "Wedding officiant fires gun to get attention and accidentally shoots grandson, cops say."