“I just shot my son by accident,” a distraught father sobbed to a Cincinnati police 911 operator.
“Oh God. Get here quick.” “Please hurry.”
This was a case of mistaken identity as 73yrs Old Father shot his son in the neck.
The man, who believed his 14-year-old son was at school, accidentally shot his son in the neck when he mistook him for an intruder at their East Price Hill home Tuesday morning around 6.30am.
The Father said he had dropped his son, Georta Mack, off at the school bus stop but the teen returned home, the Cincinnati police said .
The Father said ‘’after hearing a noise in the basement, I grabbed a handgun to investigate. Georta startled me, according to the frantic 911 call, and I accidentally shot him in the neck.
Throughout the call Georta’s father begs police to hurry, asking God why this has happened. He tells police his son is struggling to breathe as he held a cloth to his neck to slow the bleeding. Shortly after, he exclaimed that his son stopped breathing.
Georta was taken to Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center. Shortly after 8:15 a.m., the boy was pronounced dead at Children’s Hospital.
Police Lt. Steve Saunders says the father is being interviewed by police and has been cooperative.
Police officials said the Hamilton County prosecutor’s office will decide whether there should be any charges against the father.
“These types of tragedies are so horrific, they’re even unimaginable,” Police Chief Eliot Isaac told reporters.
Neighbors were seen crying as they shared the news of the shooting on snow-covered Blanchard Avenue hours later.
“He’s only 14 years old,” said a woman amidst tears.
Neighbors said Georta lived in the home with his 73-year-old father and both seemed to get along well.
Angela Roberts, who has lived in the neighborhood about a year, said Georta was a “good kid,” who would often mow her friend’s lawn and help with yard work.
Cincinnati Police Chief Eliot Isaac called the shooting a “terrible, terrible tragedy” at a press conference Tuesday 12 “It’s unimaginable really.”
He added that while owning a gun is an individual choice, gun owners should be responsible, prepared and well-trained. He also said that everyone in the home should be aware that guns are kept in the home.
He also advised kids to always tell the truth. “Tell the truth: make sure your parents know where you are, absolutely.”
