Police seek owner of revolver involved in fatal accident

By Brent Fox

The Advertiser

NovaNewsNow.com

Police continue to ascertain the source of a firearm that was used in a fatal self-inflicted accidental wound in Kentville New Year’s Eve.

The victim -- identified as Luc O’Hara -- was transported first to the Valley Regional Hospital and then the Queen Elizabeth II Hospital in Halifax, where he later passed away as a result of his injury.

Kentville Police Cpl. Ken Reade said, “it’s a real tragedy. He was very popular; a nice young fellow.”

Kentville police had received a 911 call at 8:10 p.m. New Year’s Eve to attend an Inglewood Avenue residence.

Upon arrival at the scene, police and paramedics discovered a 17-year-old male with a single gunshot wound.

The weapon in question was a 0.32-calibre revolver. Police are not prepared at this point to discuss the nature of the wound.

Police say that early investigation has determined it was an accidental self-inflicted wound. Two other young people were present at the time and there was an amount of alcohol present.

There were also adults having a New Year’s get-together on the main floor of the Inglewood home, though it’s unknown if they even knew of any alcohol among the younger people. However, none of these are seen as factors in the incident.

Small, prohibited firearm

Police continue their investigation into the ownership of the weapon, a small, prohibited firearm. In fact, the only charges could be from that aspect of the investigation: who owns the gun and how did the victim get ahold of it.

“We have the weapon,” Reade said. “It was recovered at the scene.” It appears to be unregistered.

Grief counsellors were on hand at the victim’s school, Northeast Kings Education Centre (NKEC) in Canning, Thursday.

Annapolis Valley Regional School Board superintendent Dr. Norm Dray said that four additional counsellors were brought in for individual and group sessions.

“The students express a lot of good memories about him,” Dray said. There’s a tribute table at NKEC so students can leave their tributes and write any memories they have of the boy, and they will be presented to the family.

The board has a tragic events response team at each school. The one at NKEC began its work New Year’s Day.

Meanwhile, police are investigating what could be a related incident in Kentville Wednesday evening involving a trio of alleged home invaders and an armed kidnapping and assault.

The perpetrators are thought to have mistakenly believed that the kidnapping and assault victim had something to do with the accident gun’s ownership.