Ohio – In a heartbreaking incident out of Ohio, two members of the same family now face criminal charges after an 11-year-old girl, identified as A. Frazier, was fatally shot by her 14-year-old cousin. The teen boy, whose identity hasn’t been revealed due to his age, has been charged in juvenile court with a delinquency count of reckless homicide. Meanwhile, his 33-year-old father, identified as M. Seymour, now faces more serious adult charges: involuntary manslaughter and child endangerment.
The charges stem from Seymour’s failure to secure a firearm, which police say led directly to Frazier’s death. According to authorities, Seymour removed the handgun from a lockbox in the early morning hours of December 5, reportedly after his dogs reacted to something outside. Instead of returning it to its lockbox, he left the weapon unsecured in the home. That decision would prove devastating just hours later. Seymour’s son, left unsupervised while another adult at the house was showering, found the unsecured firearm. According to Seymour, the teen “grabbed the gun and decided to play with it.” The result was a fatal gunshot wound to 11-year-old Frazier, who was also Seymour’s niece. Police were dispatched to the home at 6:26 p.m. on December 5. There, they found Frazier suffering from a life-threatening gunshot wound. The scene, already heartbreaking, would soon ignite a legal reckoning. Despite emergency efforts, Frazier died from her injuries three days later, on December 8.
As investigators pieced together what happened, it became clear that Seymour’s decision not to secure the gun set off a chain of events that ended in an avoidable tragedy. Though he was not at home at the time, Seymour later admitted his role in leaving the weapon where a child could access it. Before his arrest, Seymour spoke to local news sources, expressing that he hadn’t spoken with Frazier’s mother since the shooting. The two had long been estranged, though their children remained close. He insisted the shooting was an accident and said, “The only thing that matters to me is that (Frazier’s mother) knows that it was truly an accident.” Acknowledging the weight of what happened, he added, “There’s nothing that me nor my son can do to make this go away. Her baby’s life got taken away from her.” Seymour also stated he was prepared to face whatever came next: “I’m ready for any consequences that come my way. I just don’t want my son to lose his life over this.”
Authorities have since taken Seymour into custody at the correction center, where he is being held without bond. His arraignment is set for December 26. This is not Seymour’s first encounter with the law. Earlier in 2024, he was charged with misdemeanor discharge of a weapon after firing two shots into the ground during a separate incident. He later pleaded guilty to disorderly conduct in that case. As for his son, the 14-year-old remains in juvenile detention and, due to his age, has not been publicly named. Prosecutors have not said whether he could face adult charges, but the reckless homicide charge already marks a serious legal step.
Frazier, a fifth-grade student, was described by family as full of energy and dreams. Her grandmother told local media that she loved butterflies, enjoyed soccer, and often posed happily for pictures and videos. Frazier had dreams of becoming both a doctor and a professional soccer player. She leaves behind four sisters, including a 14-year-old and 7-year-old twins. In the wake of Frazier’s death, the legal system now turns its focus to accountability—not only for the teenage shooter but also for the adult whose negligence allowed the tragedy to happen. Investigations continue, but for a grieving family, the loss is permanent.
