Teen about to graduate dies from gunshot during ‘target practice’
INQUIRER.net stock photo
A high school student getting ready for her graduation was fatally shot in front of her friends while they were holding target practice.
Candace Chrzan, 17, died last Tuesday after being shot at a backyard in Georgia, said Ashley Hulsey of the Carroll County Sheriff’s Office in a Facebook video yesterday, April 3.
Hulsey said Chrzan was visiting her friends at the time of the accident and confirmed that the teen was in possession of a .22 caliber pistol. When it was Chrzan’s turn to hold the gun, it eventually jammed. She handed the pistol to one of her friends, Jeremy Gray, to fix it.
Unfortunately, as the jam was getting cleared, it went off and struck Chrzan in the head, resulting in her ultimately death. Gray and the other teens on the scene tried to give first aid but were unsuccessful, as stated by the police.
FEATURED STORIES
When authorities arrived at the scene, they said everyone involved in the accident was “cooperative” and Gray was “visibly and physically shaken.” He was charged with involuntary manslaughter, reckless conduct and possession of a firearm under the age of 18.
“The kids probably haven’t been taught the gun safety rules they should have been taught,” Husley said to ABC affiliate WSB-TV on April 1. “She (Chrzan) had just picked up her cap and gown this week and was getting ready for those festivities all seniors look forward to. So it’s a very heartbreaking time.”
Investigators did not say who owned the handgun but stated that they have been working closely with the local district attorney’s office on the case.
On top of the charges he faces, Gray received a death threat in relation to the accident. The police said a certain Samuel Grier showed his gun while threatening Gray in a Snapchat video, shortly after Chrzan’s death. The video alarmed the police who tracked Grier down, confiscated his gun and arrested him for felony and terroristic threats.
Local police reminded the public about the importance of gun safety and said it will not tolerate people taking matters into their own hands. JB
RELATED STORIES:
Police find dismembered body in delivery truck; two charged with murder
Mother charged for cutting daughter’s neck with scissors; child survives
Read Next
EDITORS’ PICK
Subscribe to INQUIRER PLUS to get access to The Philippine Daily Inquirer & other 70+ titles, share up to 5 gadgets, listen to the news, download as early as 4am & share articles on social media. Call 896 6000.