On January 4, 2018, Investigator Mayer of the Wyoming County Sheriff’s Office arrested Matthew Howell, age 42, of Tooley Road in the Town of Bennington and charged him with Endangering the Welfare of a Child, a class A Misdemeanor. He was issued an appearance ticket, which is returnable to the Town of Bennington Court on January 29, 2018 at 6:00 p.m.
Mr. Howell is the father of the injured child. Sheriff Gregory Rudolph reports, “The charge is the culmination of an investigation by the Sheriff’s Office with collaboration from the Child Protective Services Unit at the Wyoming County Department of Social Services and involvement of District Attorney Donald O’Geen.”
“Although this was a terrible accident it was completely preventable. The loaded handgun was left unattended for minutes in the living room, but it was readily accessible to the child which was the most significant factor in determining the charge. No one wins in a case like this; it is heart wrenching to everyone involved. However, the father and mother provided immediate care, the Bennington Ambulance and Monroe Ambulance responded in minutes to provide advanced care and a highly trained staff at Oishei’s Children’s Hospital continued the lifesaving efforts, all of which prevented the ultimate tragedy. The child is still hospitalized, but doing well and we are all ultimately thankful and thrilled with that outcome.”
Previous press release
On December 30, 2017 at 0756 hours, the Communications Division at the Wyoming County Sheriff’s Office received a 911 call of a 3 year old boy that had been shot through the chest/shoulder area with a .45 caliber handgun in a home on Tooley Road in the Town of Bennington. The mother was the caller and the Dispatcher gave Emergency Medical Dispatch instructions to treat the injury until EMS arrival. The Bennington Fire Chief and Monroe Ambulance were the first on the scene and continued further treatment. At 0819 hours, the Bennington Ambulance transported the child with a Medic from the Monroe Ambulance onboard and took him to Children’s Hospital in Buffalo with an arrival time of 0905 hours. The child then received and made it through a surgery.
The Wyoming County Sheriff’s Office Criminal Investigations Division is conducting the investigation, which is ongoing; however, a few facts are known. The shooting was accidental and the child came in contact with the loaded handgun in the living room. The handgun is registered to the father. As more information is developed an analysis will be made on any potential criminal charges. There is no further information at this time.