West Virginia State Police say a teen died after an accidental shooting that happened late Thursday night in Wayne County.
By Alyssa Hannahs
Published: Apr. 18, 2025 at 12:05 PM EDT|Updated: 20 hours ago
WAYNE COUNTY, W.Va. (WSAZ) – A juvenile has died after what state police investigators believe was an accidental shooting in Wayne County.
West Virginia State Police reported that three people were inside a car just before midnight Thursday in Genoa along Joels Branch Road when a gun went off.
Troopers said one of the people inside the car was showing his gun to the teen, when the gun went off, hitting the juvenile in the stomach.
The juvenile died on the way to the hospital, troopers confirmed on Friday.
Sergeant M.C. McMillian said “every trooper, every police officer, everybody involved, a juvenile is the hardest, the hardest thing we ever deal with because everybody’s got a family at home and everybody’s got kids and everybody takes that hit a little bit harder. There are true victims in this.”
Wayne County Schools released the following statement on Friday:
“Wayne County School Administrators were notified by law enforcement that a student at Wayne High School has passed away from an accident overnight. Our prayers are for the family and friends of the student. The District’s Support Team is coordinating with Wayne High School for appropriate supports for staff and students. Wayne County Schools are currently on Spring Break and students return to school on Monday.”
No charges have been filed at this time.
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