CHILD SHOT

Evening Post, Volume CVI, Issue 51, 7 September 1928, Page 14

CHILD SHOT

GVN ACCIDENTALLY FIXED

(By Telegraph.) (Special to "The Evening Post.") AUCKLAND, This Day. A gunshot wound, accidentally inflicted by his cousin, resulted in the tragic death of Bruce James Garner, aged .seven years, whose parents reside at Ponsonby. Tho child was shot in the abdomen and, notwithstanding the fact that a doctor was rushed to the house, he died within an hour. The afternoon was wot and tlie little boy with his cousin and some other children were playing in tlio "house. Mrs. Garner saw the children at play, and then went into the kitchen at the rear of the house for a fuw minutes. Later she heard a muffled report, but thought, it .was the banging of a door. There was a scream, and the mother, rushing into the playroom, saw her little son lying on the floor. lie had fallen from the bed, on which ho had.been sitting. A rifle lay on the floor, where it had been dropped by the child, who had accidentally fired it. The bullet had struck the boy just above his hip and passed through his body. Dr. Coldieutt was immediately summoned, but his task was hopeless. Tho rifle was last used for rabbitshooting some time ago, but Mr. Garner is positive no cartridge was left in it. It is possible one of the children may have taken a cartridge from a shelf. Tho muzzle must have been close to the dead boy's body when it was fired.