Utah Teen Shoots Himself in Leg, Discharging a Firearm in City Limits

A Logan, Utah teen may be in trouble for discharging a firearm in city limits after he accidentally shot himself in the leg while cleaning a gun.

Cleaning a loaded weapon

The 16 year old boy was home alone cleaning an unknowingly loaded .40 caliber handgun when the firearm went off, sending a bullet through his leg near his knee and then into an adjacent apartment. The teenager was able to contact his grandmother who called 911 to attend to the boy’s gunshot wound. Thankfully, he is expected to make a full recovery and no one in the neighboring apartment was hurt by the stray bullet.

Gun safety

The Logan teenager is fortunate that the bullet didn’t kill him or harm someone else nearby. Although state law allows teenagers to possess certain types of firearms with and sometimes without a parent nearby, it is important for parents to teach gun safety to their children or enroll them in appropriate classes. It is also wise to discuss whether handling of weapons when no adult is nearby is safe or even legal.

Discharging a firearm in city limits

It is assumed at this time that the self-inflicted gunshot wound was accidental, yet the 16 year old teenager is still being investigated as discharging a firearm in city limits is against the law, accident or no accident. Logan Utah ordinance 9.28.010 states “It is unlawful for any person to discharge any firearm within the limits of the city, except in defense of person or property or in the case of any peace officer or city employee in the discharge of such person’s duty.”

An age of mistakes

With multiple surgeries scheduled to repair the damage done to his knee area, the teen is already paying a high price for his mistake. It was not his intention of discharging a firearm in city limits, and criminal charges would serve little purpose at this time. A juvenile defense attorney knows that and can help the youth and their family fight for fairness and understanding in court.