WARREN — Police are investigating the possibility that a 5-year-old boy shot his 20-year-old aunt with a gun he found in the aunt’s car late Thursday.
Lt. Jeff Cole of the Warren Police Department said Ashlee N. Austin of Woodbine Avenue Southeast suffered the gunshot wound while inside her car, but it’s unclear where the car was when the shooting took place.
The woman was taken to St. Joseph Health Center for treatment for a gunshot wound.
A spokesman for Humility of Mary Health Partners said the hospital cannot release any information on Austin because the hospital does not give out information on gunshot victims.
Cole said police are still investigating to determine whether the shooting was an accident and what other people were in the car at the time.
A police report lists the name of a 19-year-old Northwest Boulevard woman as a witness and two children — a 5-year-old boy and a 7-month old girl — as “additional persons.”
Police responded to 2475 Northwest Blvd. for the 9:11 p.m. incident. Cole said he doesn’t know how serious Austin’s injury is. A police report indicated she suffered a “major injury.”
The car Austin was driving was a blue 2000 Pontiac two-door.
Comments
hopefully this makes national news...we don't really need negative national publicity but this adds to the debate, especially as more details come in
hmmm another report says she was taken to St E's. Regardless, I hope she's going to be ok
Quick. Let's arm all 5 year olds to protect them from fellow toddler menaces.
if everyone in the car, including the infant, had a loaded gun, the shooting would never have happened, right NRA?
"A armed society is a polite society" Think about it!
If the aunt had been armed she could have shot the five year old first and saved herself from being shot.
You are all idiots. Anyone want to guess the real cause? I hate to say it folks its not the gun. It's a person who does not know how to secure a gun around children. Also lets see if she even had training to carry a gun. I'm guessing no. I am thankful no children were harmed and someone got a dose of Karma. .
Idiot is in the eye of the beholder...might want to check a mirror native...
Because everyone wants to blame an inanimate object instead of an irresponsible person. Not one person asked why she was riding around with a loaded and chambered handgun in her car. I will also bet either the gun or the possession of the gun was illegal. Now every idiot out there has gotten out the soapbox and they "know it all" The shoe of an idiot fits most people posting stupid responses on here with examining the real facts. .
Where is that coming from viny?
Let's review this case. First, for the victim, there is no law against being shot. The shooter in this case is a juvenile. Juvenile statutes would apply to him. A study should be done as to the intent of the shooter. Did he hate his aunt?
I personally see that ammo was the main culprit in this case. Without it the shooting wouldn't have happened. Having ammo in a motor vehicle should be made a felony.
According to wytv the victim was 20 and the other person was 19 so there never should have been a gun in her possession or in the vehicle.
@ Ytownnative,
Thank you. Your the only person in this thread with real sense.
The real issue is improper use of guns. This could have easily been avoided if the Aunt didn't have a gun, presumably, under her seat where a 5 year old could reach under and grab it.
Her possession of the gun is another issue. Was it properly purchased? Registered? Does she have a permit to carry a concealed gun?
All of the people beating the "ban guns" proverbial drum need a reality check. Guns don't kill people - people will people. In fact, tobacco and alcohol use kills people at a significantly higher volume than guns do.
I'll leave on this side note; why would you want to disarm the largest militia in the world? In WWII, Japan Fleet Admiral and Commander in Chief of the IJN was quoted saying, "You cannot invade the mainland United States. There would be a rifle behind every blade of grass."
Now I know this is a different era and the threat of invasion is practically nil, but we cannot forgot how this country was forged. My solution is simple: state mandated sanctions on gun purchases, banning automatic weapons, instituting background checks that incorporate histories of mental illnesses, and mandatory safety courses for every potential gun owner. In addition, gun manufacturers/retailers need to sell chamber locks with every item.
This list could expand ten-fold, but you get the jest.
Very good, common sense gun control opinion.
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