A 9-year-old boy was hospitalized Thursday evening after being injured by shrapnel from a .22 caliber bullet he had been striking with a hammer near a shed in Wayne Township, according to the Tuscarawas County Sheriff’s Office.
At 7:07 p.m., the Tuscarawas County 911 Center received a call from a grandparent at a neighboring home on Sunset Boulevard reporting the child was bleeding from a laceration. Initial reports suggested the wound may have been caused by a gunshot.
Deputies and Detective Captain Adam Fisher responded to the scene. They learned the child had already been transported to Akron Children’s Hospital by the Wayne Township Fire Department.
An investigation revealed the 9-year-old had been outside with his 6-year-old brother when the incident occurred. Blood was found at the scene, but no firearm was located.
Captain Fisher interviewed the younger sibling, who explained that his brother had been hitting a bullet with a hammer when it exploded, sending shrapnel into the boy’s right forearm and left ankle. The injured boy later confirmed the account to investigators at the hospital. Authorities determined no gun was involved, and the injuries were not life-threatening. The boy is expected to make a full recovery.
“This case gives the rest of us an opportunity to talk to our kids about the dangers of firearms and ammunition and to secure it out of reach,” Sheriff Orvis L. Campbell said in a statement.
As a matter of standard protocol, a report will be forwarded to Tuscarawas County Job and Family Services for review.
