Teenager shot while 'playing with a firearm,' cousin said in 911 call

A 15-year-old boy who is in serious condition with a gunshot wound may have accidentally shot himself in the head, according to 911 calls made by his family. The teenager, who is not being identified because of his age, was reportedly on a FaceTime video call with his older cousin and shot himself in the head accidentally, the cousin said in a phone call to Elyria police. "I was just on the phone with my little cousin, and he was playing with a firearm and accidentally shot himself in the head," the cousin told an Elyria police dispatcher. The cousin, who said he was calling from Cleveland, told police that he was not sure where the teenager was, but that he could have been in a home in either Elyria or Lorain. Police received another call from a girl who identified herself as the sister of the teenager who was shot, who told them the address on Melvyn Lane where he had been. The sister told police that she received a call from a friend stating that her brother had shot himself in the head while on FaceTime with the friend. She said the teenage victim had been at the home babysitting his 2-year-old nephew. Police arrived at a home on 1100 Melvyn Lane on Saturday where the victim's sister had directed them and found the boy shot. He was transported to University Hospitals Elyria Medical Center and later to University Hospitals Rainbow Babies and Children's Hospital in Cleveland in serious condition. The cousin who called police to report the shooting said that the victim had put the gun to his head, and the cousin repeatedly told him to stop and put the gun down. "As soon as I told him to stop, the gun went off and he fell," the cousin told police. The dispatcher asked if the 15-year-old "did it on purpose." "I don't think he did; I don't know," the cousin said. The teenager is still hospitalized, and Elyria police are investigating the shooting. It was not immediately clear who owned the black and silver handgun, according to the cousin who called police. A GoFundMe page launched for the 15-year-old says, "Hi all my name is Erik Castillo, I would like to ask for donations for my family as we're going through this difficult time with my son. He's currently in the ICU. He was involved in an accidental shooting. Any donations are welcome if you can donate please share. These donations are for medical bills and for family support while we navigate through this difficult time." The Chronicle contacted the organizer of the GoFundMe drive but did not receive a response before deadline Wednesday. The drive is seeking to raise $8,000 and as of 8 p.m. on Wednesday it had raised $1,795. Contact Owen MacMillan at (440) 329-7123 or omacmillan@chroniclet.com.