NEED TO KNOW
- Amya Frazier, 11, was shot on Dec. 5 inside a home on South Wheatland Avenue and died five days later, according to police
- Her 14-year-old cousin was charged with a delinquency count of reckless homicide in juvenile court
- Prosecutors later indicted Amya’s uncle, Matthew Seymour, after he acknowledged leaving the gun unsecured that day
An Ohio man has been indicted in connection with the accidental shooting death of his 11-year-old niece — days after his teenage son was charged in the case.
Matthew Seymour, 33, was arrested Dec. 19 on charges of involuntary manslaughter and endangering children in the death of Amya Frazier, who was shot inside a home on the 200 block of South Wheatland Avenue on Dec. 5 and died five days later, the Columbus Division of Police announced.
Amya was shot by her 14-year-old cousin, Seymour’s son, who was charged in Franklin County Juvenile Court with a delinquency charge of reckless homicide, The Columbus Dispatch and ABC6 reported. The teen has not been identified because he has not been charged as an adult, the outlets noted.
“[My son’s] not a bad kid. He made a very dumb mistake,” Seymour said in court, per ABC6. “He’s never been in trouble before. Just asking for a little bit of leniency, that’s it.”
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Seymour previously told the Dispatch that he removed a handgun from a lockbox earlier that day after his dogs reacted to something outside the home. Instead of returning the weapon to secure storage, Seymour said he placed it on top of a mini fridge, according to the newspaper.
Seymour told the Dispatch that he was not at the home at the time of the shooting and said another adult was present and taking a shower when his son accessed the gun and fired it. Amya was taken to the hospital after the shooting where she later died.
Police said she had been shot in the head, per ABC6 and WTTE.
In the days following Amya’s death, prosecutors confirmed that only the juvenile charge had been filed, while emphasizing that additional charges could still be brought as the investigation continued, ABC6 reported.
Seymour’s indictment was announced roughly two weeks later.
Seymour told the Dispatch that he had not spoken to Amya’s mother since the shooting and described the incident as an accident.
“The only thing that matters to me is that [Amya’s mother] knows that it was truly an accident. There’s nothing that me nor my son can do to make this go away,” Seymour said. “Her baby’s life got taken away from her.”
Franklin County Sheriff’s Office
Amya was a fifth-grade student at Westgate Elementary School and one of five sisters, her family told the Dispatch.
Her grandmother said Amya loved butterflies, soccer and making videos, and dreamed of becoming both a doctor and a professional soccer player.
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