DAYTON, OHIO – A woman who picked up a handgun from a sofa while cleaning house suffered a fatal gunshot wound to the chest, and her fiancé was arrested under the preliminary charge of having weapons under disability. The man called 911 around 5:10 p.m. on January 11th from a duplex apartment in the 300 block of Pleasant Avenue to report the incident.
He told dispatchers that his fiancé was cleaning and picked up the gun from a couch when it went off. While on the phone, the man was heard to say “Stay with me baby, stay with me. Baby, stay awake.” The woman was transported to Miami Valley Hospital, where she died from her injuries.
The incident is under investigation, and the man was taken into custody and held in the Montgomery County Jail under the preliminary charge of having weapons while under disability.
The charge, which at first sounds a bit confusing, may be unfamiliar to anyone who is not familiar with Ohio State laws. Having weapons while under disability is the title of Section 2923.13 of the Ohio Revised Codes. In part, it says that no person shall knowingly acquire, have, carry, or use any dangerous firearm if the person is a fugitive, under indictment or convicted of a felony offense, drug dependent or in danger of drug dependence, a chronic alcoholic, or falls under several mental circumstances.
The dangers of leaving a loaded firearm accessible in the home can not be overstated. The risk of children and untrained adults, angry family members or friends, burglars or home invaders getting their hands on the gun can have tragic and deadly results.
