The Johnstown Tribune-Democrat | By David Hurst
JOHNSTOWN — A 9-year-old boy escaped serious injury Monday when a gun he apparently found in bushes near Russell Avenue fired in his hand, Johnstown police said.
The tiny stainless steel revolver, smaller than a pack of cigarettes, probably was mistaken for a toy, Sgt. Pat Goggin said Tuesday.
“The boy was grazed a little by the bullet and had some powder burns,” Goggin said, noting the gun was loaded with .22 caliber ammunition and was capable of firing a fatal shot. “He’s lucky.”
When the gun fired, it scared the boy, who ran home and was taken to Memorial Medical Center for treatment, Goggin said.
The weapon looks a bit like a cap gun. Such guns can easily be stashed in a belt or small pocket and are purchased as personal defense weapons.
City police are investigating how the revolver got there.
Its serial numbers had been “scrubbed,” Goggin said, and judging by the gun’s condition, it doesn’t appear it was in the bushes very long.
Such finds on public streets aren’t common, he said, but probably have occurred four or five times during his 20 years on the force.
The lesson here: “If you find a gun, leave it where it is and contact us right away,” Goggin said, noting Monday’s accident could have been far worse.
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