A 33-year-old Columbus father has been indicted on involuntary manslaughter and child endangering after police say his 14-year-old son fatally shot the boy’s 11-year-old cousin with a handgun left unsecured inside a Hilltop home earlier this month. Officers responded around 6:26 p.m. on Dec. 5 to South Wheatland Avenue, where the girl was found critically wounded.
Authorities identified the girl as Amya Frazier. She was taken to a hospital and died on Dec. 8. The father, Matthew Seymour, was arrested after a Franklin County grand jury returned charges tied to leaving a firearm accessible to a minor. The teen is charged in juvenile court with reckless homicide. Investigators say the shooting capped a day that began before dawn, when Seymour took a handgun from a lockbox to investigate noises after his dogs alerted. He later placed the weapon on a mini fridge and left it there. The case has stirred grief in a West Side neighborhood and renewed attention on unsecured firearms inside homes.
Patrol officers arrived within minutes of the 911 call and found Frazier with a gunshot wound inside the home. Medics transported her in critical condition; she succumbed to her injuries three days later. Detectives said witnesses told them the 14-year-old had handled the gun in the kitchen area when it fired. In an interview prior to his arrest, Seymour said he removed the pistol about 3 a.m. because dogs were reacting to something outside and failed to return it to secure storage. He said another adult was at the residence and in the shower when the teenager picked up the weapon. “I’m ready for any consequences that come my way,” Seymour said, calling the shooting an accident.
The grand jury indictment, announced in mid-December, charges Seymour with involuntary manslaughter and multiple counts of endangering children. Jail records list him as 33, booked into the county facility following his arrest. The teen, whose name has not been released because of age, faces a delinquency count of reckless homicide in Franklin County Juvenile Court. Investigators recovered the handgun and collected cartridge cases and trajectory marks from the kitchen. Detectives are reviewing dispatch audio, interviewing relatives who were present before and after the shot, and seeking any home-surveillance or doorbell video from the block. Officials have not publicly stated the pistol’s caliber, whether a magazine safety was present, or if a locking device was on scene.
Neighbors described a quick succession of sirens that Friday evening as cruisers converged on the narrow street west of downtown. Yellow tape crossed a small front stoop while officers guided relatives to patrol cars for interviews. A woman who lives two houses away said she heard “one loud pop” just before sunset. “It was one shot and then silence,” she said. By nightfall, detectives photographed the mini fridge area and tagged a countertop where family members said the firearm had been left. A small memorial of candles and stuffed animals later formed on the steps. Friends remembered Frazier as a lively fifth-grader who liked soccer and making videos.
Police reports outline a timeline that began hours earlier when Seymour retrieved the gun from a lockbox after dogs reacted to movement outside. He told investigators he put the handgun on top of a mini fridge and intended to secure it later. He was not home when the shooting occurred, according to statements summarized by detectives, and returned after being contacted. Officials have said the working theory is a single round fired while the teen was “playing” with the gun, striking his cousin. The Franklin County Coroner’s Office will issue the official cause and manner of death once testing and documentation are complete. Early summaries describe a single gunshot wound; no additional injuries were noted in police narratives.
Records and local reports show a series of recent child-involved shootings in Columbus this fall, including accidental discharges inside apartments and single-family homes. The incidents have drawn repeated statements from law enforcement about the risks of leaving firearms accessible to minors. In this case, investigators emphasized that the adult’s decision hours earlier set the conditions for the tragedy later that day. Family members expressed shock and said they were supporting the girl’s mother as arrangements were made. A relative said Frazier wanted to be both a doctor and a soccer player and often spent time with cousins after school.
Legal proceedings now move on two tracks. Seymour is due for arraignment in Common Pleas Court on Dec. 26, when a judge will address bond and any conditions, which could include surrendering firearms and having no unsupervised contact with minors. The juvenile case for the 14-year-old continues separately with review hearings on detention status and competency evaluations typical in serious juvenile matters. Prosecutors will also weigh any enhancement counts once lab analysis on the firearm is complete. Detectives are cataloging digital evidence from phones and devices gathered at the home, a routine step to confirm timelines and communications.
As the investigation continues, the Police Department has maintained patrols in the area and conducted a canvas for witnesses. Officers asked nearby residents to share any footage showing people coming or going from the South Wheatland address on Dec. 5. The scene was cleared by late evening the night of the shooting. A patrol car remained posted on the block for several hours while evidence technicians completed their work. A neighbor who often sees children riding scooters on the street said the shooting was “heartbreaking,” adding that she had seen the cousins playing together earlier in the week.
By the start of the holiday week, Seymour remained jailed pending his first court appearance, and the teen stayed in juvenile detention on the reckless homicide count. Funeral details for Frazier had not been announced publicly. Officials said further updates would follow the arraignment and preliminary coroner findings. The next expected milestone is Seymour’s court appearance on Friday, Dec. 26, when prosecutors will summarize the allegations and the judge will set the case schedule.
Author note: Last updated December 23, 2025.