Editor’s Note: Story has been updated as new information is available.
ERIE, Pa., — A 20-year-old woman is in the hospital after her boyfriend allegedly shot her in the face.
Police said that the woman was in critical but stable condition Wednesday night and has improved to stable condition on Thursday.
Both the victim and suspect told police that this was an accident. But the circumstances that surround this situation make it sound unordinary, to say the least.
Police said one local 20-year-old woman is lucky to be alive after her boyfriend allegedly shot her in the face.
The shooting happened around 8 p.m. on Nov. 6 in the 700 block of East 22nd Street.
“Upon arrival, the initial officers found a female with an obvious gunshot wound to the face. At the time, this female was alert and conscious. . . not responding to officers, but alert,” said Deputy Chief Rick Lorah, City of Erie Police Department.
According to police, 25-year-old Nicholas Chastang admitted that he discharged his kel-tek .22 caliber pistol at his girlfriend.
But again, both Chastang and his girlfriend, said it was an accident. The victim told staff at UPMC Hamot that her boyfriend was only joking when he pointed the gun at her head and pulled the trigger.
“Unfortunately there are many people losing their lives because they’re mishandling firearms. At this point in time, this individual is lucky to be alert, and only stable but critical condition,” said Deputy Chief Rick Lorah, City of Erie police
According to a police affidavit, both of them claim this was “a common occurrence in their daily activities as a couple, in which they both pointed unloaded firearms at each other and pulled the trigger.”
As strange as that seems, accidental shootings haven’t been uncommon throughout the city in recent memory.
Pennsylvania gun laws don’t specify any requirements for training before or after purchasing a firearm.
The situation calls into question gun safety and reiterates that firearms aren’t to be toyed with.
“Take practice that every firearm that you’re handling is loaded and don’t pull the trigger, and don’t point it at anyone. We’ve had some horrible shootings here in the City that were accidental and these things, they can be prevented. That’s just gun safety,” Lorah added.
Chastang was taken into custody and charged with a felony count of aggravated assault; simple assault, possessing instruments of crime/possession of a weapon; and recklessly endangering another person.