Officiant Arrested For Shooting Grandson During Ceremony!

By Dhivya Easwarasamy Last updated Oct 6, 2023

After being accused by authorities of shooting his grandson in the shoulder while he was performing a wedding over the weekend, a Texas father was detained in Nebraska. The 62-year-old shot the pistol during a news conference, according to Chief Sheriff Ben Houchin, in an effort to attract attention.

Houchin claimed that the Denton, Nebraska venue’s officiant, Michael Gardner, planned to “start the wedding with a bang” and catch everyone’s attention by firing a blank into the air from a handgun. Gardner felt the need to get everyone’s attention because the wedding had begun 45 minutes late, and the throng had scattered throughout the venue.

“We do not believe that Michael intended to hurt his grandchild, but the act was not very smart.” Houchin said, noting officials do not believe alcohol was involved in the shooting.

The. 45-colt ammunition used to make the blank, according to the sheriff, was tightly cemented together and contained black powder. According to authorities, the glue is what hurt the youngster. When the 12-year-old brought the gun out to shoot the blank, and it accidentally fired, he was apparently standing close to his grandfather.

“When he decided to cock back the hammer of this revolver, it slipped, and it shot his grandson in the left shoulder, causing an injury,” Houchin stated at the news conference. The grandson’s injuries, according to the sheriff, are not life-threatening; he was taken to a local hospital before being sent to an Omaha hospital. According to reports, Gardner and his grandson traveled from Odessa to attend the wedding.

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On Monday, October 2, Gardner surrendered himself to the Lancaster County Sheriff’s Office after being charged with felony child abuse for recklessly firing a gun, according to Houchin. Houchin claimed that because they did not believe the general public was in danger and that it was an accident, they did not make him a target during the wedding.

When a reporter questioned the sheriff about why the arrest of Gardner had been made, Houchin responded that it was because the use of a handgun and the severity of the injuries met the legal conditions for an arrest. It is unclear at this time whether the Lancaster County prosecutor has charged Gardner.

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