Father of shot 12 year old questions whether shooting was accident

A 12 year old New York boy was shot and killed last week by a 13 year old friend. It has so far been called an accidental shooting but the investigation continues. From the article:

“I understand accidents happen in life. But there’s no possible way this was an accident,” Louis Cota said.

He said he believes the evidence shows the 13-year-old who was handling the gun intentionally pointed it at the face of his son, Gary Cota, even though his son was believed to have pushed the gun away seconds earlier and lectured him about pointing it at another person.

“After that point, there is no excuse for it,” he said.

The gun had a safety as well as firing mechanisms with its hammer that required three steps to be taken to prepare it to fire, Louis Cota said.

Louis Cota said his son was not handling the gun when it went off because the investigation has found he was sending a text message to a girl as he was shot. The gun was loaded with bird shot, and based on the pattern from the shot it was clear the gun was close to his son’s face, likely within a foot or so, Louis Cota said.

He said he and his wife had forbade their son from hanging out with the boy, but relented when told he was trying to straighten himself out.

Police have said they believed the shooting was accidental, but the investigation was not complete.

Washington County District Attorney Kevin Kortright said Tuesday he has not ruled out prosecuting the 13-year-old Fort Edward boy as an adult. He said he was waiting for results of forensic tests that could show who was handling the gun, and will help police determine what happened.

Unfortunately,  " His parents allowed him to have the gun, but did not believe there was any ammunition in the house for it. Fort Edward Police and State Police have been investigating where the single round that was in the gun came from. The 13-year-old friend was in Cota’s bedroom with him, and his role in the shooting is still being determined. "


Every gun in the hands of a child or teen must first pass through the hands of an adult.