A Michigan woman with special needs has been hospitalized and is fighting for her life after she was mistaken for a burglar and shot by her grandfather in his home.
The incident occurred on November 29 in Buena Vista Township at around 7:55 PM. Police responded to reports of a shooting in the 5000 block of Cabot Street to find a 26-year-old woman in the living room with a gunshot wound to her stomach. According to Buena Vista Township Police Detective Russ Pahssen, the woman had accompanied her grandmother home at around 7:15 PM and was watching television in the kitchen while her grandparents were lying on their bed.
Shortly after, her 63-year-old grandfather heard a noise and saw what appeared to be a shadow moving across a mirror through the open doorway of his bedroom. Having forgotten his granddaughter was present in the home and alarmed by the thought of an intruder, the grandfather went full Dirty Harry, pulling a .44 Magnum from under his pillow and making his way to the end of the hall.
According to authorities, that’s when he saw a silhouette in the living room and failed to recognize it as that of his granddaughter. He fired a single shot which struck the young woman in the stomach.
Upon realizing his error, the man rushed to his granddaughter’s aid, applying pressure to the wound as his wife called 911, Pahssen said.
The wounded woman was transported to a local hospital where she underwent surgery that same evening to stop internal bleeding but required additional surgery the following day to reconstruct internal organs. She remains in critical condition as of Dec. 2 according to detectives.
Brought to police headquarters for questioning, the grandfather was ultimately released as the .44 was legally owned by and registered to him with all signs pointing to a bad accident for which the grandfather was understandably shaken.
“He was really upset… He couldn’t believe he did it. He was very remorseful, but you gotta have better gun safety,” said Detective Pahssen who encourages gun owners not to keep firearms under pillows, and never to pull the trigger without being sure what you’re shooting at.
Upon completion of the investigation, Pahssen says his findings will be sent to the Saginaw County Prosecutor’s Office for review, however, I doubt we will see charges brought in this horrible accident.
As a proponent of keeping a light near or attached to any firearm that may be used to neutralize that which goes bump in the night, I feel this incident could have been avoided. At the end of the day, split-second decisions can go either way and while I hesitate to chastise the grandfather in this incident, it is monumentally important to know your target and what lies beyond.
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