11-year-old girl died after her teen cousin grabbed the gun his father left unsecured out of the lockbox to “play with it” before accidentally shooting her to death; father and son arrested
Ohio – In an unsettling incident that left residents in Ohio shocked, two family members now face criminal charges after 11-year-old A. Frazier was shot and killed by her 14-year-old cousin. The teenage boy, whose name has been withheld due to his age, has been charged in juvenile court with reckless homicide. His father, 33-year-old M. Seymour, is also facing legal consequences—this time as an adult—charged with involuntary manslaughter and child endangerment.
These charges were brought after investigators concluded that Seymour’s failure to properly secure a firearm directly led to the child’s death. Early on the morning of December 5, Seymour retrieved a handgun from a lockbox after being alarmed by his dogs’ behavior. Rather than returning the gun to a secure place, he left it out of the lockbox, easily accessible inside the home. Hours later, with Seymour absent and another adult in the house occupied in the shower, his teenage son found the weapon.
According to Seymour, the boy “grabbed the gun and decided to play with it.” Moments later, his niece—11-year-old Frazier—was shot. Officers responded to the call at 6:26 p.m. and found Frazier gravely wounded. Despite rapid medical attention, she succumbed to her injuries three days later, on December 8. The investigation quickly exposed the consequences of negligence. Though Seymour was not present during the shooting, he admitted to police that he had left the gun unsecured—an act that ultimately cost his niece her life. Speaking to local news before his arrest, Seymour acknowledged the deep pain his family was now living with and said he hadn’t spoken to Frazier’s mother since the tragedy. The two were estranged, though their children had remained close.
Still reeling from the incident, Seymour maintained that the shooting had not been intentional and pleaded for understanding, stating, “The only thing that matters to me is that (Frazier’s mother) knows that it was truly an accident.” He added, “There’s nothing that me nor my son can do to make this go away. Her baby’s life got taken away from her.” Seymour said he was ready to face the fallout, even as he worried about the future of his son: “I’m ready for any consequences that come my way. I just don’t want my son to lose his life over this.”
He is currently being held without bond at a local correctional facility, with an arraignment scheduled for December 26. This is not Seymour’s first legal issue involving a weapon. Earlier in 2024, he faced a misdemeanor charge for discharging a firearm—firing two shots into the ground after teens allegedly fired pellets at his home. That case ended with a guilty plea for disorderly conduct. His son remains in juvenile detention. Because of his age, prosecutors have not identified him publicly and have not indicated whether adult charges might eventually follow.
Frazier, a fifth-grade student, was remembered by her family as a joyful and imaginative girl. Her grandmother described her as someone who loved butterflies and soccer, who smiled brightly for pictures and videos, and who carried big dreams—she hoped to become both a doctor and a professional soccer player. She leaves behind four sisters, including a 14-year-old and two 7-year-old twins. Now, as the legal process unfolds, the focus is on accountability—both for the teen who pulled the trigger and the adult whose inaction made it possible. But for the family left behind, the tragedy is not one the court can fix. The loss is irreversible, and their lives have been changed forever.
