Texas officer sentenced to probation for accidentally shooting grandson at wedding

A Texas state employee will be placed on probation this week after accidentally shooting his own grandson at a wedding.

On Tuesday, Michael Gardner, 63, a Texas county commissioner, was sentenced to one year of probation on a misdemeanor child abuse charge for accidentally shooting his own 12-year-old grandson while officiating at a wedding in Nebraska last year.

The incident occurred when Gardner pulled out a revolver to fire a blank into the air, signaling the start of an outdoor ceremony near the small town of Denton in southeastern Nebraska. As he cocked the gun, it accidentally discharged, striking the 13-year-old boy.

Gardner was celebrating his nephew’s wedding at an outdoor venue about 10 miles southwest of Lincoln, Nebraska. He said he made the blank cartridge himself, using an empty cartridge case, black powder and hot glue to assemble it.

According to the The Lincoln Journal StarThe boy suffered an injury measuring approximately eight centimeters long and four centimeters wide. The injury also extended into the boy’s muscle, causing muscle and tissue loss.

“This is something I’m going to have to deal with for the rest of my life,” Gardner said. “No one is ever going to be harder on me than I am, no matter what I get here.”

Gardner was recently re-elected as an Ector County Commissioner in Texas.

Gardner was initially charged with second-degree assault but reached a plea deal in July, accepting a reduced misdemeanor charge after pleading not guilty.

In response to the incident, Lancaster County Assistant District Attorney Eric Miller said he was concerned that Gardner or anyone else would bring a firearm to a wedding.

“I understand this isn’t just a shooting in a convenience store or something like that,” Miller said. “But what he did was reckless behavior.”

“But I think as a county attorney, I think you have to look at the events and how they affect the community, not just certain individuals,” Miller said, noting that this was a “pretty unique situation.”

According to the The Lincoln Journal StarGardner’s attorney, Matt Kosmicki, said his client will take responsibility for the incident and reflect on what happened every day.

“The people I serve and work for all support me, obviously,” Gardner said. The Lincoln Journal Star “It was a horrible accident. I don’t know what else to say about it,” he said.

This article includes reporting from the Associated Press.