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Boy's air gun death 'an accident' | |
(about 1 hour later) | |
A coroner has urged parents to supervise children using air guns after a 10-year-old boy died after being shot at close range in the heart. | |
Rhys Johnson of Llansamlet in Swansea died in hospital on 27 September. | |
An inquest heard he and a friend were using his father's airgun without his knowledge in a lane behind his home. | An inquest heard he and a friend were using his father's airgun without his knowledge in a lane behind his home. |
Recording a verdict of accidental death coroner Philip Rogers was told Rhys's friend did not mean to shoot him as they were taking 'pot shots' at cans. | |
Mr Rogers heard Rhys and his 12-year-old friend were playing in the lane behind his house. | |
Det Sgt Nigel Morgan said the friend was holding the .22 calibre air rifle when he thought he heard Rhys call to him. | |
"Rhys was standing to his left calling him and laughing," he said. | |
"The boy held the rifle at the butt in his right arm with his finger on the trigger. | |
I'm sure Mr and Mrs Johnson were not aware the children were using the weapon unsupervised Philip Rogers, coroner | |
"As he turned he felt the gun to be heavy. As it fell away he pulled it towards him and accidentally fired the trigger. | |
"Rhys was holding himself to the chest - he thought he was joking then he thought he's shot Rhys in the hand. | |
"He saw no blood and Rhys ran to the house." | |
The boy, who cannot be named for legal reasons, dropped the Webley Vulcan .22 break-barelled air rifle and followed Rhys into his house. | |
Det Sgt Morgan said: "He was crying and apologising for what happened." | |
Rhys was hit by a pellet at close range. | |
Paul Wheel has set up a Thai boxing memorial cup to remember Rhys Johnson | |
Surgeons in Swansea battled for several hours to save the schoolboy but he died in the early hours of the morning of the following day. | |
The medical cause of death was an airgun wound to the heart. | |
The Swansea inquest heard no legal action was taken against the boy. | |
Playing indoors | |
The inquest was told Rhys had played with his father's gun since the age of eight but only while supervised. | |
His father, workshop engineer David Johnson, told the inquest: "I would allow him to use it if he was with me when I was up the garden or we were spending time together. | |
"Rhys would have shown interest in it from when he was about eight-year-old - maybe younger." | |
Mr Johnson, 36, said he thought Rhys was indoors on his Playstation when the tragedy happened. | |
Swansea coroner Philip Rogers said: "This sad case proved the danger of air weapons. Such weapons although not requiring to be licensed can prove fatal. | |
"I would urge anyone with children to try and ensure that such weapons are not used without parental supervision. | |
"I'm sure Mr and Mrs Johnson were not aware the children were using the weapon unsupervised." |