Teen Blinded By Frog Shot From 'Toy' Gun
Potato Gun Accidentally Fired In Teen's Face
POSTED: 1:28 p.m. EDT April 16, 2003
DALLAS -- A teenager has lost his sight after being struck in the face with a frog, shot from a so-called "potato gun."
Daniel Benjamin Berry, 17, received the injury after he looked down the barrel of the gun's PVC pipe barrel and was hit in the face by the frog.
His mother, Lisa Berry, said he's now blind in both eyes. She hopes her family's tragedy serves as a warning to other parents.
"Any of y'all's children could bring it home, and you'd not even know they have it," she said. "It could end their life or their neighbor's life or your life."
Potato guns are made of pipe with one end sealed. A potato is wedged into the open end and a flammable liquid put into a sealed chamber is ignited, launching the object.
Denton County Sheriff's Department spokesman Kevin Patton said the accident happened Sunday when Daniel Berry joined a crowd of teenagers watching the gun be fired. Patton said when it misfired, Daniel Berry looked down the barrel to see what was wrong when the gun went off.
Investigators said the teenager who owns the gun purchased it off the Internet. Potato guns are not illegal in Texas, so prosecutors will not file charges in the incident.
Copyright 2003 by Local6.com. The Associated Press contributed to this report. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Daniel Benjamin Berry, 17, received the injury after he looked down the barrel of the gun's PVC pipe barrel and was hit in the face by the frog.
His mother, Lisa Berry, said he's now blind in both eyes. She hopes her family's tragedy serves as a warning to other parents.
"Any of y'all's children could bring it home, and you'd not even know they have it," she said. "It could end their life or their neighbor's life or your life."
Potato guns are made of pipe with one end sealed. A potato is wedged into the open end and a flammable liquid put into a sealed chamber is ignited, launching the object.
Denton County Sheriff's Department spokesman Kevin Patton said the accident happened Sunday when Daniel Berry joined a crowd of teenagers watching the gun be fired. Patton said when it misfired, Daniel Berry looked down the barrel to see what was wrong when the gun went off.
Investigators said the teenager who owns the gun purchased it off the Internet. Potato guns are not illegal in Texas, so prosecutors will not file charges in the incident.
Copyright 2003 by Local6.com. The Associated Press contributed to this report. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
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