A 71-year-old man with special needs was shot in the face on Saturday morning, after his caregiver discharged one round from a recently purchased handgun, police said.
Police were dispatched to a home along the 600 block of Rosemont Avenue in Upper Gwynedd at 8:03 a.m. on April 10 for a report of a shooting. Police said the home is operated as a community living and home support site for adults with special needs, and is owned by Jewish Employment and Vocation Services.
Upon arrival, police learned there were three adult residents and one caregiver in the house at the time of the incident. The caregiver was identified as a 25-year-old male from Philadelphia who had been working at the home for seven years, police said.
Investigators said that the caregiver was handling a recently purchased 9mm handgun when he discharged one round, which struck a 71-year-old male resident beneath his left eye. The victim was transported from the scene via ambulance to Lansdale Hospital, where he was then airlifted to Jefferson Hospital for treatment of his injuries.
Upper Gwynedd Police Chief David Duffy said that the weapon was recovered, and the caregiver is cooperating with the investigation. The other two residents were uninjured during the incident, and Duffy added that at no time was there a threat to the public.
Police are continuing their investigation into the shooting, and the incident will be reviewed by the Montgomery County District Attorney’s Office.
Upper Gwynedd Police were assisted at the scene by members of the Lansdale Borough Police Department, Montgomery County Detective Bureau and the Volunteer Medical Service Corps of Lansdale.
See also:
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