A teen was accidentally shot by her mother after arriving home early from college as a surprise.
Hannah, 18, from Ohio, shared how she “ran through the door with excitement” at her family home to surprise them, but her scared mother thought she was an intruder and shot her.
Hannah wrote in a Facebook post:
“As I ran through the door, she was in fear for her life and shot me.”
Hannah’s boyfriend phoned emergency services, telling the call handler:
“My girlfriend just came home from college and her mom didn’t know, like honestly – she accidentally shot her, and we don’t know what to do.”
When asked if Hannah was bleeding badly, he replied: “It’s pretty bad.”
The bullet hit Hannah in the right arm — leaving her elbow broken in three places.
She then posted to Facebook saying how she underwent surgery and had three plates and eight screws fitted into her arm.
Chief John Norman, Girard police, shared the following statement:
“The mother who has a valid CCW (concealed carry) permit – even though she was in her own house, was startled by some noises she heard in the kitchen or hallway area. She stated that the bedroom door opened where she was at – and she had a gun readily available and she fired a round at someone coming through the door.”
Police then recovered a .38 special revolver from the bedroom floor, it was taken as evidence, as well as four live rounds with another spent one in the cylinder.
He states that he is not sure if any charges will be brought against the woman but said they will “collect all the facts,” adding:
“We will present it to a prosecutor, not to be malicious, but we have to the present the facts like we would in any other case.”
He continued saying the mother was “clearly distraught” when she found she had shot her own daughter.
When requested for advice, chief Norman shared the following:
“If you realise someone has a gun for protection, and they’re not expecting you – announce yourself when you enter the home, or even if you’re getting up to get a drink of water in the middle of the night, just announce yourself.”