Boy, 10, shoots grandmother outside Uniontown church
Alyssa Choiniere | 缅北禁地
Elmer 鈥淏uzz鈥� Hall, pastor at Solid Rock Ministries in Uniontown, said his 鈥渢wo most loved people鈥� were impacted when his grandson, who is autistic, shot his wife on Thursday.
Ed Riedmann
Uniontown City Police responded to a shooting outside Solid Rock Ministries on Millview Street where they said a 10-year-old boy shot his grandmother twice. She is expected to survive.
Alyssa Choiniere | 缅北禁地
Alyssa Choiniere | 缅北禁地
A 10-year-old boy with autism broke into a locked compartment and took a gun at a Uniontown church, shooting his grandmother 鈥� the pastor鈥檚 wife 鈥� twice in the parking lot, police said.
Valerie Hall of Uniontown suffered a wound to a vital area in the parking lot of Solid Rock Ministries on Millview Street shortly after 5 p.m. Thursday when she confronted her grandson to hand over the gun. She was flown to聽Ruby Memorial Hospital in Morgantown, West Virginia and was in stable condition Friday.聽
The boy lives at the church with his grandparents, who have cared for him since he was six months old, said his grandfather and the church鈥檚 pastor, Elmer 鈥淏uzz鈥� Hall.
The boy and his grandmother were at the church with six children and two adults for a Bible study and dance class when he found the keys to a locked bedroom in her purse in a hall closet. He rooted through his grandfather鈥檚 dressers and was able to open the locked gun safe. He fired shots at the church building and shot Hall when she tried to take the gun from him, police said.
鈥淚 was the one that was supposed to be there,鈥� Elmer Hall said.
He was taking his son to run errands, outside of their normal routine. Hall said he thinks he could have gotten the boy to give him the gun as the child is sometimes 鈥渄efiant鈥� with his grandma.
Hall wondered if his grandson saw the incident like a video game, where a player shoots an on-screen character who is fine moments later.
鈥淗e鈥檚 10 years old, but he has maybe a 4-year-old mentality. He鈥檚 smart, but he鈥檚 like a baby,鈥� Hall said.
This summer, the boy鈥檚 behavior was better than ever before, his grandfather said. He said they have tried to manage his autism with counseling and medication. They recently spoke to a counselor, who decided to increase therapy to three days per week.
鈥淸He] is an extrovert. He is outgoing and makes friends with complete strangers. Everyone loves him. He can be kind and gentle and nice,鈥� he said. 鈥淏ut he has his moments.鈥�
In 2018, the child accidentally caused a fire in the church. He had a fascination with lighters at the time, and found one in a purse set on the floor. He lit it and ignited sheer curtains, then came to his grandfather in a panic.
Among the boy鈥檚 many friends are the members of the Uniontown City Police Department. He had a long fascination with the show, 鈥淐ops.鈥� Thursday night, he found himself in their custody.
鈥淭hey had him all shackled up, and he just leaned up against me. They took the shackles off him and he just ran up and hugged me. He cried. We both cried,鈥� Elmer Hall said. 鈥淚 told him last night, 鈥楤uddy, I can鈥檛 help you out of this one.'鈥�
Hall saw his grandson again at his court appearance Friday.
鈥淗e鈥檇 turn back and look at me wanting me to help him. Nothing I could do,鈥� he said with a heavy sigh. 鈥淚t was hard. Really hard. Really hard. The two most loved people in my life.鈥�
The boy is being kept at a juvenile detention facility three hours north, Hall said. He said the boy does well with a routine, and he hopes he will now get better help and treatment.
鈥淚 know God鈥檚 going to take care of that baby for us. He鈥檚 going to be OK. He鈥檚 going to work this out. We鈥檙e going to be a family again,鈥� he said.
Uniontown City Police Lt. Tom Kolencik said the boy told officers 鈥渉e was sorry and didn鈥檛 mean it.鈥�
鈥淥ur thoughts and prayers are with Mrs. Hall and her family, but a major concern is getting the boy the care and treatment he needs as well,鈥� Kolencik said.
The boy faces attempted homicide and other charges, and Kolencik said no charges will be filed against the Halls, noting they exercised due diligence in securing the weapon.
鈥淚 know, as a police officer in the community, Mr. and Mrs. Hall take good care of their grandson,鈥� Kolencik said.
He said the incident is a good reminder for adults to discuss the dangers of guns with children, and to always keep them in a secure location.
鈥淭his was in a locked room inside of a locked compartment, and the (boy) was still able to get it, so that tells you that you have to be so diligent,鈥� he said. 鈥淲e learned last night that鈥檚 still not enough sometimes.鈥�
Kolencik said there was an 鈥渁mazing show of support鈥� on the scene from neighbors and those in the church. They were calm and helped first responders, he said.
鈥淪ome of the kids heard and saw what happened. There were a lot of parents there to help kids that weren鈥檛 even theirs,鈥� he said. 鈥淚t was an amazing show of a nice neighborhood. We had extra hands everywhere.鈥�
Elmer Hall said his mission is to help the community. He and his wife have a long history of service, providing help and direction to prostitutes, assisting homeless people and serving as a community hub after the tornado in 2018.
鈥淲e鈥檙e going to stay here. We鈥檙e going to keep pushing forward, because even in the midst of this, we won鈥檛 stand back. We won鈥檛 stop. We won鈥檛 give up. We鈥檒l keep pushing forward,鈥� he said.
Earlier that day, a woman stopped by the church with blisters on her feet. Hall gave her socks, and said he wished he could have done more. Being unable to help is the hardest thing for him, he said.
鈥淏ut we need a little help too, sometimes, and one of those things is for people to be understanding,鈥� he said tearfully. 鈥淲e all go through things we don鈥檛 like, but we鈥檝e got to push forward. I鈥檇 like to get my grandson back and keep going like this never happened.鈥�