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Teen blinded by 'potato gun' misfire
In the continuing saga of "truth is stranger than fiction"...
04/15/2003
By DONNA FIELDER / Denton Record-Chronicle
A Denton teenager was in critical condition Monday after he was shot in the face with a frog that exploded from a "potato gun."
Daniel Benjamin Berry, 17, was taken to John Peter Smith Hospital in Fort Worth early Sunday after he looked down the gun's PVC pipe barrel and was struck in the face by the frog.
"He is going to be blind in both eyes," Daniel's mother, Lisa Berry, said in the hospital's critical-care waiting room.
A potato gun is usually made with a PVC pipe with one end sealed. A potato or another object is wedged into the open end. Flammable liquid such as hairspray is put into a sealed chamber in the device and ignited.
Sunday's accident occurred about 1 a.m. in the Copper Canyon area. Denton County Sheriff's Department spokesman Kevin Patton said three teenagers took the gun and potatoes to the bridge.
"At some point, someone decided to fire frogs from the gun," he said. "And at some point, the gun misfired."
A crowd of teenagers had gathered to watch, the sheriff's spokesman said.
"Mr. Berry was a spectator. He walked over to try to help with the misfire," Mr. Patton said. "He looked down the barrel, and the gun fired on a delayed reaction."
He was taken to a hospital emergency room and was later transferred to the Fort Worth hospital, Mr. Patton said.
Mrs. Berry said she couldn't understand why the illegal weapons are available on the Internet.
"Some other kid ordered one over the Internet," she said. "They thought it was a toy. It's not a toy; it's a dangerous weapon."
Daniel's mother said her son had broken bones in his face and would require surgery. He told her he didn't think there was a frog in the gun and looked to try to see it.
"He said it just went off. It was a misfire. It hit him square in the face," she said.
Mr. Patton said no charges would be filed.
"This is the first incident involving a potato gun that we have had to deal with," Mr. Patton said. "We had six teenagers in possession of a potato gun, and one of them was critically injured.
"What are you going to do? This was an accident."
Mrs. Berry said she didn't blame the other boys. They did not know the power of the gun, she said.
Daniel had wanted to join the Air Force but she would not give her permission, she said. She encouraged him to attend college until he was old enough to join without parental consent.
"All he ever wanted to do was be an Air Force pilot," she said. "That isn't going to happen now."
04/15/2003
By DONNA FIELDER / Denton Record-Chronicle
A Denton teenager was in critical condition Monday after he was shot in the face with a frog that exploded from a "potato gun."
Daniel Benjamin Berry, 17, was taken to John Peter Smith Hospital in Fort Worth early Sunday after he looked down the gun's PVC pipe barrel and was struck in the face by the frog.
"He is going to be blind in both eyes," Daniel's mother, Lisa Berry, said in the hospital's critical-care waiting room.
A potato gun is usually made with a PVC pipe with one end sealed. A potato or another object is wedged into the open end. Flammable liquid such as hairspray is put into a sealed chamber in the device and ignited.
Sunday's accident occurred about 1 a.m. in the Copper Canyon area. Denton County Sheriff's Department spokesman Kevin Patton said three teenagers took the gun and potatoes to the bridge.
"At some point, someone decided to fire frogs from the gun," he said. "And at some point, the gun misfired."
A crowd of teenagers had gathered to watch, the sheriff's spokesman said.
"Mr. Berry was a spectator. He walked over to try to help with the misfire," Mr. Patton said. "He looked down the barrel, and the gun fired on a delayed reaction."
He was taken to a hospital emergency room and was later transferred to the Fort Worth hospital, Mr. Patton said.
Mrs. Berry said she couldn't understand why the illegal weapons are available on the Internet.
"Some other kid ordered one over the Internet," she said. "They thought it was a toy. It's not a toy; it's a dangerous weapon."
Daniel's mother said her son had broken bones in his face and would require surgery. He told her he didn't think there was a frog in the gun and looked to try to see it.
"He said it just went off. It was a misfire. It hit him square in the face," she said.
Mr. Patton said no charges would be filed.
"This is the first incident involving a potato gun that we have had to deal with," Mr. Patton said. "We had six teenagers in possession of a potato gun, and one of them was critically injured.
"What are you going to do? This was an accident."
Mrs. Berry said she didn't blame the other boys. They did not know the power of the gun, she said.
Daniel had wanted to join the Air Force but she would not give her permission, she said. She encouraged him to attend college until he was old enough to join without parental consent.
"All he ever wanted to do was be an Air Force pilot," she said. "That isn't going to happen now."
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