Police: Bedford County man taking target practice shoots child in head with pellet gun

A man taking target practice with a pellet gun at a home shot a child in the head, instead, saying the child ran into his line of fire.

Now, as WJAC-TV in Johnstown reports, the shooter, identified as Leo Ramsey, 36, of Saxton Borough, Bedford County, is facing charges of aggravated assault, reckless endangerment and child endangerment in wake of the incident that occurred in December.

The child, who wasn’t identified in the report, was rushed to Conemaugh Nason Hospital, then transferred to Children’s Hospital in Lawrenceville. There was no immediate update on the child’s condition.

According to court papers cited by WJAC, Ramsey told police that he was shooting targets with a pellet gun at a home and that the child ran in front of him as he pulled the trigger. The child was struck in the temple-area with a pellet and suffered injuries, police said.

The age and sex of the child was not detailed in the report.

Upon further investigation, police said they learned that the child victim, along with another child, were sitting on the porch of the home watching Ramsey practice shooting.

Ramsey told police that he heard the door open and “assumed that the child had gone inside.”

Investigators say the man told police that he was target practicing and that the victim ran in front of him and was struck in the temple-area with a pellet. He also admitted to the police that the incident was "completely avoidable."https://t.co/HjhaOOmBa3

— 6 News (@WJACTV) January 27, 2022

Ramsey admitted that the incident was “completely avoidable,” police noted.

At last report, Ramsey was lodged at Bedford County Prison in lieu of $100,000 bail. He faces a preliminary hearing set for Feb. 2.