Ohio dad faces felony charges in 2-year-old girl's shooting death
NEWARK, Ohio — An Ohio man has been indicted on involuntary manslaughter and other charges after his 2-year-old daughter was fatally shot at home.
In a 911 call about the Dec. 14 shooting, the girl’s mother said Noelle Massuros was accidentally shot by her 6-year-old brother, who had found a gun that was left out at their Pataskala home. The woman told the dispatcher that her husband, Jason Massuros, left loaded guns in the house.
He was indicted on felony charges of involuntary manslaughter, endangering children and obstructing official business, according to Licking County court records.
Assistant Prosecutor Jenny Gonzalez-Wells said the charges stem from the allegation Jason Massuros left a loaded firearm out. https://t.co/SKMkrsaUm5
— NewarkAdvocate.com (@NewarkAdvocate) December 26, 2019
A message seeking comment was left Thursday for his attorney.
Massuros, 41, is scheduled for arraignment Tuesday, according to court records. He was initially held on a $500,000 bond.
Police said then that they hadn’t identified who shot the girl.
They said that when they responded to the home after the shooting, Massuros had barricaded himself there with a firearm. He was arrested after several hours of negotiations with police.
According to a criminal complaint, the victim’s mother indicated to investigators that Jason Massuros frequently leaves loaded weapons in the house that are accessible to anyone.
Remove the ads from your TribLIVE reading experience but still support the journalists who create the content with TribLIVE Ad-Free.