FOWLERVILLE, Mich. – An off-duty Flint police officer has been charged after accidentally firing a gun during a wrestling tournament at a high school, officials said.
Mark Andrew Boudreau's gun was accidentally discharged May 5 at Fowlerville High School.
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Police said Boudreau was at the school to watch his son wrestle. The bullet struck the gymnasium floor around 12:40 p.m.
He is charged with one count of careless discharge of a firearm with property damage over $50, officials said.
One person was treated for a twisted ankle they suffered while fleeing the scene, police said, but no one was hurt as a result of the shooting.
John Allen, 12, was among several wrestlers who went to compete. He was preparing to wrestle when the shot was fired.
"I'm waiting by my mat on a stair, and right next to me, about like 5 inches away, all I hear is a loud boom, and a gun goes right next to my foot and barely misses me," John said. "I remember right away I just yelled, and my mom grabbed me, and I just ran."
Coaches, such as Maxwell Johnson, immediately checked on their children, too.
"For most kids, they've never heard a gunshot, so it scares them and it's emotional," Johnson said.
So what happened?
"A parent had a revolver in their pocket that discharged somehow and went off in the middle of our wrestling tournament," said Steve Richardson, an official with Michigan USA Wrestling. "After the police were here and did their investigation and did what they had to do, we were able to resume wrestling and finish our tournament."
"This time, it was an accident," parent Jack Turnblom said. "You never know when it's a real thing, and it could be anywhere."