In yet another display of gun irresponsibility, a Texas man has been charged after he brought a real weapon to a water gun fight and shot a 15-year-old girl.
The 40-year-old man, who hasn’t been identified, was in custody Sunday and charged with deadly conduct.
Harris County Constable Lt. Charles Hoover told NBC News that the girl was struck in her shoulder – an inch from her neck – but suffered non-life threatening injuries.
The incident happened around 5 pm on Saturday in a small suburb, during what Hoover said was probably a barbecue.
Rasheed Seals, a neighbour who witnessed the incident, told NBC: “We came around here to get home and there’s two people playing, like they’re having a water gun fight.”
Then, the 40-year-old man went to his car to get dry clothes, another neighbour, Micah Stewart told NBC:
He must have had the gun so he started playing with it. I thought he probably had it on safety and he accidentally shot the girl in her collar bone area.
It was crazy, like you would never expect somebody to bring a gun to a barbecue, or a family gathering at all.
According to witnesses, a bullet also hit a car five houses away.
It’s unclear whether or not it was an accident, but County Constable Lt. Hoover has said there is an ongoing investigation into the situation. Let’s just hope it wasn’t deliberate.
Whether or not it was just a case of not thinking before acting though, this is another prime example of gun irresponsibility. Maybe it’s time more rules (or a ban) were put into place.
