Man who accidentally shot child at wedding near Lincoln found guilty

LINCOLN, Neb. (KLKN) – A Texas man who accidentally shot a child while officiating a Lancaster County wedding took a plea deal on Wednesday.

Michael Gardner, 63, pleaded no contest to misdemeanor child abuse and was found guilty.

Gardner was officiating a wedding at Hillside Events near Denton on Sept. 30 when he pulled out a gun.

He was going to fire it in the air to get everyone’s attention, but the gun slipped, and Gardner shot a 12-year-old in the shoulder.

The child was taken to a hospital with injuries that were not life-threatening.

Gardner turned himself in a day later.

He is set to be sentenced on Sept. 9.