Christian author Clayton Brumby shot and killed his son during a freak gun-range accident, according to multiple reports.
A shell casing had bounced off the wall next to Brumby during target practice and landed in the back of his shirt, ABC Action News reports.
He then reached back with his right hand, and “while doing so, he inadvertently pointed the firearm directly behind him and accidentally fired,” the Sheriff’s Office says. Stephen, his 14-year-old, was right behind him, and was shot.
Stephen later died in the hospital from his injuries. The incident occurred July 3.
“The gun didn’t kill my boy—I did,” Brumby told the Tampa Bay Times.
Brumby, a Christian author, penned the book Do You Still Think God is Good? through Morgan James Publishing. His writing also appeared in Touchstone and Your Church magazines.
Brumby takes full responsibility for his son’s death, according to CNN.
“It was a very freak accident. I made a mistake,” he told CNN. “It doesn’t take but a split second for something to go wrong and that could be (the case) with a gun, it could be with the wrong medicine, it could be with any number of things. … Every round in the gun is your responsibility. When it fires you need to stand to account for it. That’s what I’ve spent the last two days doing, accounting for my operating error.”
The father of seven had other children present, as well, who witnessed the accident.
A GoFundMe page was set up for the Brumby family.
Stephen “had an insatiable appetite to learn and was constantly sharing his wisdom with those around him. He was passionate about his Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and dedicated his life to sharing his hope with everyone he met. The family’s only comfort is knowing that he is communing with the heroes of his faith and rejoicing in paradise.”
Thus far, more than $30,000 has been raised for the devastated family.
Please keep them in your prayers.
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