A Texas county commissioner will spend one year on probation for accidentally shooting his grandson during a Nebraska wedding he was officiating.

Michael Gardner, 63, of Odessa, Texas, was sentenced Monday for misdemeanor child abuse in the September 2023 shooting. His grandson, then 12, survived the shoulder wound.

“It’s something I’ll have to deal with for the rest of my life,” said Gardner, who was recently reelected as a county commissioner in Ector County in Texas.

The shooting happened when Gardner pulled out a revolver, intending to fire a blank round into the air to signal the start of the outdoor ceremony near the small town of Denton in southeastern Nebraska. But as he was cocking the gun’s hammer, it fired, hitting the now 13-year-old boy.

  • @[email protected]
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    988 days ago

    “It’s something I’ll have to deal with for the rest of my life,” said Gardner

    “I shot someone, so I’m the real victim here!” (In Nebraska, victim shoot you?)

    • @[email protected]
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      338 days ago

      Now I’m reminded of Dick Cheney shooting that guy and the guy having to apologize to Cheney for it.

  • @inb4_FoundTheVegan
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    578 days ago

    The shooting happened when Gardner pulled out a revolver, intending to fire a blank round into the air to signal the start of the outdoor ceremony

    No fucking reason to shoot a live gun into the air. This alone should be charged as reckless endangerment.

    • @meco03211
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      188 days ago

      On the one hand, firing a blank in the air is harmless. On the other hand, how fucking close was he that the kid was as injured as he was from the blank?

      • @Cenzorrll
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        268 days ago

        It was a homemade blank, using hot glue to “hold it all together”. I’m guessing the poor kid got a plug of hot glue in his shoulder.

    • @[email protected]
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      128 days ago

      Also no fucking reason to even have a weapon at a wedding ceremony.

      Especially not for participants.

      (Maybe a security guard might need to be armed, but even then what kind of a place are you holding the wedding at that it would be needed??)

    • @VelvetStorm
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      48 days ago

      Idk if a blank would be considered a live gun but I do agree with you.

      • Gumby
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        87 days ago

        Well based on the fact that he shot his grandson, it doesn’t seem to have been a blank after all.

        • @VelvetStorm
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          17 days ago

          Yes, that is also true, and imo he should have gotten a far more harsh punishment. Not only did he almost kill someone he undoubtedly gave at the bare minimum the child life long ptsd.

  • rand_alpha19
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    468 days ago

    But as he was cocking the gun’s hammer, it fired

    Come on. It didn’t fire, he accidentally pulled the trigger while trying to pull back the hammer - I wouldn’t be surprised if he barely uses the fucking thing because it’s a security blankie to him and not a dangerous tool of destruction. I hate this passive language bullshit when it comes to things people obviously did.

  • @AbidanYre
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    448 days ago

    And they’re taking away his guns because he’s clearly not responsible, right? Right?

  • @AA5B
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    408 days ago

    Meanwhile on the same page, I see a thread about some kid charged with a felony for pointing a finger gun

  • @[email protected]
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    268 days ago

    If I can’t Accidentally Shoot my 12 YEAR OLD GRANDSON then you’re INFRINGING ON MY SECOND AMENDMENT RIGHTS!

  • @AnUnusualRelic
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    178 days ago

    Isn’t there a saying? A Texas wedding where nobody gets shot is a boring affair?

    Maybe I’m confusing it with something else.

  • @[email protected]
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    68 days ago

    That last paragraph was a wild ride. I was like “Oh, Denton? Okay yeah, sure, I can see that.” and bam, then it’s suddenly Nebraska.

    • @half_built_pyramids
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      28 days ago

      The best ever death metal band out of Denton

      Will in time both outpace and outlive you

      Hail AKs

      Hail ARs, tonight

      Hail gun death

      Hail hail

  • @Cosmonauticus
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    58 days ago

    I can definitely see Cotton Hill or Dale Gribbel (RIP) doing this

    • @[email protected]
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      28 days ago

      It doesn’t. It really really doesn’t.

      It might have happened, once, in maybe Congo, in the 70’s, or whatever.

      Stop worshipping guns. Simple.

      • @SkyezOpen
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        07 days ago

        I mean if we wanna talk specifically about shooting people at weddings, the middle east would like a word.