On Tuesday, May 18, 2021, at approximately 8:38 p.m. Officers from the Galion Police Department responded to Avita Health System (Galion) regarding a report of a small child that was brought into the emergency room with a gunshot wound.
Officers responded to the hospital and learned that the child, a 4-year-old male, had sustained a single gunshot wound to the face from a small caliber semi-auto pistol. The child was later transported by Medflight, in critical condition, to Nationwide Children’s Hospital (Columbus, OH). The police department was later notified that the child succumbed to his injuries while in-flight and had died at 11:22 p.m.
During the course of the investigation, it was determined that the child was apparently able to gain access to the firearm. Family members performed CPR and took the child to Avita hospital.
The firearm and a single shell casing were recovered from the residence where the child had been living. These items will be submitted to BCI&I for further testing/analysis.
The Crawford County Prosecutor’s Office was notified of the incident. The case remains under investigation.
“This was a tragic incident. Our thoughts and prayers go out to the child’s family.” The Galion Police Department has a supply of gunlocks that are available at no charge. I encourage anyone with children in their home to place a lock on their firearm(s) Properly storing firearms can help keep your family safe