110 W. New York Ave.
DeLand, FL 32720
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BEACON PHOTO/SARAHROSE MINISTERI
Police said gun discharged accidentally
posted Nov 16, 2012 - 12:35:52pm
UPDATE 5 P.M. FRIDAY, NOV. 16: The 16-year-old who shot himself in the eye Nov. 15, identified as Yardeh Gautier, was pronounced dead at 2 p.m. this afternoon at Halifax Health Medical Center in Daytona Beach.
He was showing the gun to other students in an unoccupied room inside the Dickinson Memorial Library in Orange City Nov. 15, when it discharged and shot him in the eye.
PREVIOUSLY REPORTED: Orange City police said a 16-year-old shot himself in the eye inside Dickinson Memorial Library Nov. 15, as his friends sat beside him.
The shooting occurred at 3:25 p.m., police said.
Orange City Police Detective Ken Jones said the boy had a .38 special handgun, and was showing it to friends at the library when the gun discharged. Jones said police do not believe the shooting was intentional.
The boy, an Orange City resident whose name is being withheld by police, was in critical condition Nov. 16, at Halifax Health Medical Center in Daytona Beach.
He was taken to the Daytona Beach hospital Thursday evening after being rushed to Florida Hospital-Fish Memorial shortly after the shooting, to be stabilized.
Orange City Mayor Tom Laputka expressed his sympathy for everyone involved in the shooting, and said "Orange City is here for them."
Laputka said anyone who witnessed the shooting who wants counseling should contact Town Hall at 386-775-5404. City staff will put callers in touch with a network of churches that are willing to help, he said.
Volusia County is providing counseling to library staff members who may have been traumatized by the shooting.
"It very unnerved our staff," county spokesman Dave Byron said.
The library remains closed today, Nov. 16.
"The library folks are still shook up," Byron said. "I want to get the library open Monday. We're bringing in counseling folks to make sure the staff gets help and does not suffer post-traumatic stress."
Asked if there was any way to prevent accidents such as this, Byron said, "Short of searching people and putting in metal detectors in the libraries, I don't know what to do. Are we there yet? I don't believe the County Council is going to go for that."
He said county government will look at the incident, however.
"We will review this next week to see what we should do," Byron said.
As far as Byron knows, this is Volusia County's first shooting inside a library.
"We had a shooting outside the City Island Library [in Daytona Beach]," Byron said.
He could not remember when it happened, but it was within the last 10 years.
— Beacon reporters Al Everson, Sarahrose Ministeri and Jen Horton contributed to this report.
Reader Comments
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As a CWP carrier I have learned much more than I ever dreamed was necessary to own and carry a weapon. The one thing I realized the most was how much myself and others misunderstand and do not know, when it comes to guns and laws.
Gun safety and knowledge was a "given" in our home as we are hunters. Our adult children were taught responsibly from a young age and thankfully we have not had any tragic mishaps.
We have observed that if a family is not into hunting or gun sports they are often fearful and negative of it all. In my opinion the lack of knowlege is the danger.
I believe there should be some way to implement the core of the CWP training (which is law and actual weapons handling/safety) into every High School curriculum of required classes, beginning at 9th grade. Once the fascination becomes knowledge there could be a large reduction in tragic accidental shootings by our youth.
I have no influence in the town or state, however, if any readers do and can put this into motion it could make a huge impact in our communities.
If anyone disagrees, please take a certified CWP class before you go any further. Then voice your oppinion.
As for anyone who is fearful that the Government shouldn't be in our business as to how we become educated, or that our gun rights are all going to be taken away, that is all the more reason to get educated now.
For those who don't want to be told it is "required" to take CWP in High School, realize that it is probably better than some of the garbage required classes they have now.
Looks like the boy was never taught the first thing about firearms and died as a result. Ergo, the only sensible thing to do is to put metal detectors at all public locations and staff them with T&A, err, I mean TSA agents.
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