Officer Chris Rankin

Public Information Officer

903-798-3187 (office) 903-260-0294 (pager)

903-824-4199 (cell) 903-798-3023 (fax)

Texarkana Arkansas Police Badge

Re: Accidental Shooting

A Texarkana Arkansas juvenile has been arrested in connection with the shooting of another teen on Friday, December 9th. The charge of battery 2nd stems from an incident that occurred at a house in the 3000 block of Grand Avenue.

During this incident a group of juveniles had gathered at a house and were preparing to go out for the evening. While at the house the suspect had reportedly shown a .25 caliber handgun to the juveniles who had gathered at the residence. The victim was the last member of the group to arrive at the house. As he entered the residence the suspect, reportedly jokingly, pointed the handgun at the victim and said "what's up?". Apparently some of the other members of the group told the suspect to put the gun away. It was at this point that the weapon discharged striking the victim in the upper chest area near his neck. Witness statements indicate that the suspect immediately dropped the gun and left the room. He remained on scene and was contacted by first responding officers.

The bullet lacerated the victim's trachea, punctured both lungs, and lodged against the victim's spinal cord. The victim was transported to Wadley Regional Medical Center where he was taken into surgery. The victim is in serious condition, but is expected to recover. After surgery he was able to speak briefly with detectives. Due to the seriousness of the victim's injuries and the fact that a deadly weapon was used in a reckless manner, charges of battery 2nd degree have been filed. Battery 2nd is a class D felony.

Again, by all accounts at this point, this incident appears to have occurred accidentally and amongst friends. This illustrates the fact that accidents can occur very quickly when dealing with firearms. The Texarkana Arkansas Police Department strongly encourages parents to instruct their children to notify an adult immediately if a firearm is located or displayed in an unsafe manner.

Thank you and you can visit the Texarkana Arkansas Police Department online at http://www.txkusa.org/arkpolice.