A Columbus man has been charged with involuntary manslaughter and endangering children after police say his 14-year-old son picked up a handgun left on a mini fridge and fatally shot the boy’s 11-year-old cousin earlier this month. The shooting happened around 6:26 p.m. on Dec. 5 in the Hilltop neighborhood; the girl, identified as Amya Frazier, died three days later.
Authorities said the father, 33-year-old Matthew Seymour, was arrested after a Franklin County grand jury returned indictments tied to the girl’s death. The teen, whose name was not released because of age, is charged with reckless homicide in juvenile court. Police say the case began with what Seymour described as a late-night security scare: he took the gun from a lockbox at about 3 a.m. because dogs were reacting to something outside, then failed to put it back. The weapon remained within reach until the evening, when the teenager handled it and the shot was fired inside a home on South Wheatland Avenue.
Officers were called to the 200 block of South Wheatland Avenue after a report of a person shot on Dec. 5. Patrol units found Frazier suffering from a life-threatening wound and began lifesaving measures. She was taken to a hospital and died on Dec. 8. Detectives said witnesses in the home told investigators the 14-year-old had obtained the gun and was “playing” with it when it discharged. In an interview before his arrest, Seymour said another adult was home at the time and was in the shower when the teen accessed the gun. He said he had removed the firearm from secure storage hours earlier because he thought there might be an intruder. “I’m ready for any consequences that come my way,” he said, adding that he considered the shooting an accident.
Police documents state the teen was taken to juvenile detention after officers and medics cleared the scene. Prosecutors later filed a reckless homicide charge, alleging the teen caused Frazier’s death by reckless handling of the firearm. Seymour was booked at the James A. Karnes Correctional Center and listed as being held without bond pending arraignment. Investigators recovered the handgun and other evidence from the residence and are reviewing any available video and 911 recordings. The Franklin County Coroner’s Office will determine the official cause and manner of death; preliminary findings have not been released. Officials did not describe the caliber of the handgun or whether any locking devices were present when officers arrived.
Neighbors said the block is a mix of single-family homes and rentals near busy corridors on the city’s west side. Yellow tape lined the sidewalk as marked cruisers arrived shortly after sunset on Dec. 5. A resident who lives two houses away said she heard a single loud pop and then saw flashing lights. “It was one shot and then sirens,” the neighbor said. By nightfall, detectives were photographing the small kitchen area where, according to witnesses, the teen had been handling the gun. Family members gathered outside while officers escorted several people to waiting cruisers for interviews downtown. The Police Department called the scene secure and said no threat remained to the wider neighborhood.
The case has drawn attention to Columbus’ recent string of child-involved shootings, including several incidents since early fall. Records and local reporting indicate officers have responded to multiple accidental shootings involving children under 12 in recent months, with officials repeatedly urging safe storage inside homes where firearms are present. In this case, Seymour acknowledged taking the gun from a lockbox hours before the shooting and leaving it on a mini fridge. He told a reporter he had been spooked by the dogs and planned to return the gun to storage but did not do so. Police have not alleged that the gun was stolen or otherwise unlawfully possessed; the charges focus on endangering children and causing death through recklessness.
Legally, Seymour’s case now moves through Franklin County Common Pleas Court following the grand jury indictments. His arraignment is set for Dec. 26. If a judge orders him held, a bond hearing could follow with conditions that may include no contact with minors and surrender of firearms. The juvenile case proceeds on a separate track for the 14-year-old, who remains in detention pending review hearings. Juvenile proceedings typically include competency evaluations, discovery of forensic reports, and discussions over potential transfer to adult court for the most serious offenses; officials have not said they will seek transfer in this instance. Detectives said lab work on the gun and trajectory analysis will be added to the case file, along with any digital evidence retrieved from phones inside the home.
In interviews, relatives described Frazier as a spirited middle-schooler who spent time with cousins on the Hilltop. A small memorial of candles and stuffed animals formed on the front steps after her death. “She was always smiling,” said a family friend who stopped by the house the following evening. A neighbor walking a dog said she had seen children riding scooters on the block earlier in the week. “It’s heartbreaking,” the neighbor said. Police said they conducted a door-to-door canvas for witnesses and asked nearby residents to share any camera footage showing people entering or exiting the home on the day of the shooting.
As of Tuesday, Seymour remained jailed pending his Dec. 26 court appearance, and the teen’s case remained in juvenile court on a reckless homicide charge. Investigators said they will release updates after the arraignment and after the coroner issues preliminary findings. No funeral information for Frazier had been announced. The next expected milestone is Seymour’s first court appearance, where a judge will address bond and schedule further hearings.
Author note: Last updated December 23, 2025.