A tragic incident in Ohio has led to the arrest of a 14-year-old boy and his father after the boy’s 11-year-old cousin was fatally shot. The teenager and his father now face serious charges connected to the event.

Police responded to a distress call around 6:30 p.m. on December 5, discovering Amya Frazier with a critical gunshot injury. She was rushed to a hospital but succumbed to her injuries five days later, as reported by the Columbus Division of Police.

The young cousin was charged with reckless homicide in juvenile court on December 11. Subsequently, Matthew Seymour, aged 33, was charged with involuntary manslaughter and child endangerment on the following Friday.

In an interview with the Columbus Dispatch, Seymour recounted that his son had friends over the night before the tragic event. Concerned by his dogs’ behavior around 3 a.m., he retrieved a handgun from his safe to investigate. However, after addressing the situation, he left the firearm atop a mini-fridge rather than securing it back in the safe.

During the shooting, Seymour was not at home, although another adult was present. This adult was in the shower when the teenager reportedly took the gun and began handling it carelessly, leading to the fatal accident, as Seymour explained in the December 11 article.

Seymour said he has not spoken with his niece’s mother since the shooting.

“The only thing that matters to me is that (Amya’s mother) knows that it was truly an accident,” Seymour said. “There’s nothing that me nor my son can do to make this go away. Her baby’s life got taken away from her.”

“I’m ready for any consequences that come my way,” he said. “I just don’t want my son to lose his life over this.”

Seymour was previously charged with a misdemeanor weapons count last year for firing into the ground when teenagers fired pellets at his home. He later pleaded guilty to disorderly conduct, the Dispatch said.

Frazier was a fifth grade student at Westgate Elementary School with a four sisters — a 14-year-old, an 8-year-old, and 7-year-old twins. Her grandmother, Amy Zahrani, told the newspaper that Frazier played soccer and wanted to be a doctor and a professional soccer player.

“Everyone who met Amya loved Amya,” Zahrani said.

Seymour’s bond has not yet been set, jail records show.