Father Allegedly Shoots Son Because He Wouldn't Stop Playing Guitar

A man in the city of Blue Ash, Ohio reportedly took drastic measures after becoming frustrated with his son's guitar-playing.

According to the Cincinnati Enquirer, 79-year-old Fred Hensley Sr. has been charged with felonious assault and domestic violence after allegedly shooting his adult son, 50-year-old Fred Hensley Jr.

The former had become angry because his son had been playing the guitar for too long, the Blue Ash Police Department confirmed in a report on the incident. The weapon allegedly used in the Sunday shooting was a .380 pistol.

Hensley Sr. told authorities that he had been allegedly aiming to hit his son's guitar—not his actual body. Nonetheless, police said Hensley Jr. was shot in the side of his stomach. "He wouldn't stop playing the guitar so I got my gun and threatened to shoot him. I didn't mean to hit him, I only meant to shoot near him so he would stop playing the guitar," Hensley Sr. told police, according to the police report.

After the alleged shooting, the father reportedly called the authorities. However, while first responders were making their way to the scene, the father-son conflict reportedly escalated: as they waited, Hensley Jr. allegedly assaulted his father and "started beating him in the face and head," according to police.

When police found the duo, not only was the younger Hensley wounded—his father had also sustained facial injuries in the reported scuffle. However, police reported that Hensley Jr. said he didn't remember hitting or assaulting his dad.

At the scene, officers found the gun and a spent shell casing, along with the guitar, which were seized by police.

The son was taken to receive medical attention for the gunshot wound. He does not face any criminal charges for his role in the alleged incident.

Hensley Sr. was also brought to a hospital for his facial injuries but was soon taken to the Hamilton County Justice Center on assault charges.

As of Monday, the conditions of the father and son have yet to be released.

The use of a firearm to solve what was otherwise a small family squabble speaks to the serious harm that can come with casual, household gun possession. For example, according to the American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP), "households with guns are associated with a nearly three-fold increase for the risk of homicide occurring in the home" when compared to households without guns. Moreover, "there is a nearly eight-fold increased risk associated with gun ownership and homicide when the perpetrator is the intimate partner or a relative of the victim."

"It's generally held that gun violence expenses—medical charges, loss of income, daily care/support, and criminal justice expenditures—cost the U.S. economy approximately $229 billion annually," added the agency.