Police believe incident was accidental
T. Scott Boatright, Reporter
09-26-2008
Ruston police say a Louisiana Tech University student was injured early this morning in what appears to be an accidental shooting.
A 911 call received at 3:53 a.m. Friday requested an ambulance and police at the Louisiana Tech Pi Kappa Alpha fraternity house at 110 Western St., where Chelsea Rene Wilder, 18, of Shreveport, was found seated on the front porch with a bandaged forearm and hand.
Ruston Chief of Police Steve Rogers said the wound appeared to be a gunshot wound leaving a 3/4-inch “scrape” on Wilder’s arm and hand. She was transported to Northern Louisiana Medical Center, where she was treated and released for her injuries.
Rogers said Samuel Russell Breen, 19, was inside on the second story of the house handling a Remington 260-caliber rifle when it discharged and shattered a window in the room. Police believe Wilder was sitting on the porch and was struck by a bullet fragment from that gunshot.
Breen was arrested and charged with discharging a firearm within city limits and negligent injury.
“We’re very thankful it was not a more serious injury,” Rogers said. “We want to warn students, and everyone in general, that they should treat all weapons as if they are loaded.
“The importance of gun safety cannot be stressed enough and what happened shows that. This could have been a very tragic incident.”
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