Police believe shooting of 12-year-old girl accidental - News, Weather and Sports for Lincoln, NE; KLKNTV.com

By: Lauren Fabrizi
lfabrizi@klkntv.com

A fourth of July celebration ended in an accidental shooting at a south Lincoln home Friday night.

"The victim had an entry wound near the middle of her back and an exit wound near her right shoulder," Capt. Jim Davidsaver of the Lincoln Police Department said.

The victim is a 12–year–old girl. The accident happened just before 11 p.m. in the 2300 block of S. 35th Street. 

Davidsaver said there were between 10 and 12 people there at the time. He said the suspect, 42–year–old Ronald Marsh, was in the backyard.

A friend of his who was there told Channel 8 Eyewitness News that Marsh and the owner of the home were looking through a photo album. That's when the friend said Marsh's handgun slipped from his waste line through his shorts.

"It fell, hit the pavement, then the gun discharged," Davidsaver said.

Marsh's friend said everyone on the patio thought the girl had been hit by a firework. She was taken to the hospital, but is expected to survive. 

The friend said Marsh had the gun on him because he planned to sell it to the victim's father.

He's been cited for the discharge of a firearm in the city.

"We were able to talk to the other children, the other adults that were there," Davidsaver said. "No reason to believe it was anything more than an accident."

Marsh has been cited and released for the misdemeanor, but police said he may face additional charges.
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By: Channel 8 Newsroom
8@klktv.com

Lincoln Police believe the shooting of a 12-year-old girl Friday night was accidental.

It happened in the 2300 block of S. 35th Street just before 11 p.m. Police say 42-year-old Ronald Marsh of Lincoln was at a gathering with about 10 to 12 people. They say a gun fell out of his shorts, and fired off a shot when it hit the ground. The shot struck the 12-year-old girl in the back and went upward through her right shoulder.

Marsh has been cited for discharging a fire arm in the city.