Elyria 8-year-old shot in foot by sibling in apparent accidental shooting

Police are investigating after an Elyria 8-year-old was apparently shot in the foot accidentally by their teenage sibling on Saturday. Elyria police Capt. Bill Lantz said that police were directed to a home on the 100 block of Pennsylvania Avenue around 8 p.m. on Saturday for a reported shooting. Arriving officers found an 8-year-old child that had been shot in the foot. The injury was reported as not life-threatening and the child was taken by LifeCare Ambulance to the hospital for treatment. "Preliminary information indicates the firearm discharged unintentionally while being handled by the child's 13-year-old sibling," Lantz said. Elyria detectives are still investigating the circumstances of the shooting, and police did not provide any information about who the gun belonged to or how the teenager got access to it. "We encourage all firearm owners to practice responsible firearm storage and handling," Lantz said. "Keeping firearms secured and inaccessible to children can help prevent injuries and save lives." Everytown Research and Policy, a gun safety advocacy organization, said that as of Sept. 28 there have been at least 210 accidental shootings in the United States in 2026 in which the shooter was 17 or younger. According to the organization's "#NotAnAccident" index, 74 people were killed as a result of those accidental shootings and 141 were injured. According to the CDC's National Violent Death Reporting System, 2,491 Americans were killed in an unintentional shooting by someone 17 or younger between 2001 and 2024. Both Elyria and Avon Lake police offer free gun locks through the national Project Childsafe program. "Responsible gun ownership means keeping firearms unloaded and secured in a lockbox, with ammunition stored separately," Elyria Police Chief James Welsh said. "Always treat every firearm as loaded and follow safe handling practices. Parents and guardians must ensure children and teenagers cannot access firearms keys or combinations and should teach children to never touch a firearm they encounter and to immediately notify a trusted adult." On the day before the shooting in Elyria occurred, the Lorain County Sheriff's Office announced an event in Grafton spotlighting the importance of safe gun storage for prevention of suicide and accidental shootings. The "Safe Storage. Safe Homes" event will be at the Grafton Township Hall from 9 a.m. to noon Thursday. It will feature a discussion with Deputy Brian Holmes and a free gun lock will be available to all attendees. The event is being supported by the Ohio Suicide Prevention Foundation, LifeSide Ohio, Lorain County Suicide Prevention Coalition and the Mental Health, Addiction and Recovery Services Board of Lorain County. The Cleveland Public Library's Glenville, Lorain (Lorain Avenue in Cleveland) and Rice branches offer free gun locks and safes with no ID or appointment required. Do not bring your firearm into the library to receive the lock. Contact Owen MacMillan at 440-329-7123 or omacmillan@chroniclet.com.