A Texas county commissioner wanted to make his nephew's wedding memorable, so he planned to start the ceremony with a gunshot. Sadly, things didn't go as planned, and 62-year-old Michael Gardner, an Ecto County commissioner, accidentally shot his 12-year-old grandson, Wyatt, in the shoulder.
Chief Jeff Houchin of the Lancaster County Sheriff's Office addressed the media Tuesday and announced a felony child abuse charge against Gardner. He said Gardner turned himself in to authorities on Monday. Thankfully, Wyatt, who is a twin, survived with only minor injuries, but Gardner will likely never be the same.
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The shooting happened Saturday evening.
According to multiple sources, Gardner was officiating his nephew's wedding at Hillside Events in Denton, Nebraska. ABC News reported Gardner told the Associated Press the gunshot was supposed to be part of the wedding, but things didn't go as planned.
"I really don't know exactly what happened," Gardner said. "I've been around guns all my life, and I've never had anything like this happen."
He reportedly made the blank round himself.
Gardner explained that he used an empty shell, gunpowder, and hot glue to create the blank. The blank reportedly slipped out when he fired the shot from a revolver, and the glue flew and hit his grandson.
He claimed authorities allegedly said he was trying to get the crowd's attention, but that was not true. Instead, the shot was intended to cue the music for the bride to walk down the aisle, according to ABC News.
At first, his grandson tried to shake it off.
Gardner said in an interview that the gunshot startled the crowd, but the bride didn't notice, the Washington Post reported. He continued with the ceremony but soon he knew Wyatt needed treatment.
He was taken an hour away to Children's Hospital in Omaha. "I never left his side. There is nobody who feels worse about this than I do," Gardner told the Associated Press. "I'm not sure I'll ever get over it."
If convicted, Gardner could go to jail.
His child abuse charge is a Class IIIA felony, Houchin said in the news conference. The Post reported that if convicted, Gardner could face a $10,000 fine and three years in prison.
"We do not believe Michael intended to hurt his grandchild, but the act was not very smart," Houchin said.
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This could be the end of his career.
If Gardner is convicted of a felony, he will no longer be eligible to serve as commissioner, he told the Post. He added that he never tried to "skirt that issue." He is up for re-election in 2024.
He said accidents happen but believes God was watching over his family.
"God wasn't surprised by what happened that day," Gardner told the Post. "He made sure things were taken care of. He knew what we were going to need that day."
Wyatt's mother, Brittany Gardner, posted an update on Facebook. It reads in part, "He has been a trooper!!! We also just want to say thank you for all the love, support, and prayers. Please keep them coming. Love y'all!!"
