A Texas man is in jail after an unfortunate situation this weekend near Denton, Nebraska.
Lancaster County Sheriff’s we’re called to a wedding ceremony at Hillside Events Saturday afternoon, on a call of a gun shot wound. Upon arrival, officers learned that the man officiating the wedding, decided to gain everybody’s attention and start the wedding with a bang. 62-year-old Michael Gardner of Odessa attempted to fire a snub-nosed revolver into the air with a blank to begin the wedding.
Chief Deputy Ben Houchin said while pulling the revolver out, his hand slipped while cocking back the hammer, inadvertently discharging a homemade blank round. This round fired what is believed to be a small piece of glue used to compact the gunpowder into the casing, which struck his 12-year-old grandson in the shoulder.
The injured child was taken to a local hospital, and subsequently transferred to Omaha for further treatment. The injuries are believed to be non-life-threatening.
Gardner turned himself in and was cited for felony child abuse. Alcohol is not believed to have played a role in this incident.
Chief Deputy Houchin said this unfortunate situation is a somber reminder that playing with firearms, even with blank rounds, is never smart… as this situation could have been a lot worse.