Prosecutors said NFL player Joe Mixon was armed but did not open fire in the shooting of a 16-year-old boy.
Lawmakers from the Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office responded to Mr. Nixon’s home on March 6 after witnesses reported hearing gunshots. A young victim who was shot in the foot and other youths were reported to have played “Nerf wars” with toy guns when the conflict broke out. WLWT reported.
Prosecutors say Mr. Nixon’s sister’s boyfriend, Lamonte Brewer, shot the underage boy. He faces charges of assault, falsification of evidence and possession of a weapon while disabled, but his whereabouts are unknown.
Mr. Mixon’s sister, Shalonda Mixon, was charged with falsifying evidence and obstructing justice. She pleaded not guilty.
“The teenager heard multiple gunshots buzzing near his head and immediately hid behind a tree, fearing for his life,” said prosecutor Melissa Powers. “It’s unbelievable that something like this happened. It’s hard to understand how anyone could point a gun at a child, let alone fire 10-11 rounds. It’s a miracle he wasn’t killed.”
Prosecutors say Mr Mixon was falsely told that there were real armed people in the backyard of his house. He then went out armed, but did not open any fire.
A spokesperson for Mr Mixon said ESPN The Cincinnati Bengals player received threats and worried for his safety after his address was revealed in January.
“When another person fired the firearm, Joe intervened and prevented the person from firing the firearm,” the statement said. “Joe hates that a young adult was injured during this incident.”
He was taken to the hospital with minor injuries and was being treated.
Mr. Mixon was out of town on the day of the shooting and had returned home with his sister, his five children, and Mr. Brewer. Ms Powers said Mr Mixon had a firearms license and had not committed any crime.
Ms. Mixon and Mr. Brewer were stopped that night while trying to leave her brother’s house. FOX19.
It is unclear how law enforcement lost track of Mr. Brewer.
The principal of the school where the victim went, warned the parents about dart wars, saying that the toy guns used in the game could be mistaken for real guns.
“Most of the Nerf guns and homemade gadgets look like a real gun to someone who sees[them]from afar,” said David Spencer of Turpin High in a statement. Cincinnati Inquisitor. “In the world we live in today, this can cause extreme anxiety and a certain undesirable reaction by our young adults.”