Parents to sue over son's gun death

Published: May 7, 2009 at 11:20 PM

ST. GEORGE, Utah, May 7 (UPI) -- The parents of a Utah teenager killed while handling a gun to be used in a school production of "Oklahoma" plan to sue the school and police, their lawyer said.

Jeff Wilcox, who represents Ron and Cathie Thayer, recently notified the St. George Police Department, the Washington County School District and the person who loaned the gun for the play of their intent to file a lawsuit, The Salt Lake Tribune reported Thursday. Wilcox said the couple would seek damages for their son Tucker's medical and funeral expenses.

Tucker Thayer, 16, was a sophomore at Deseret Hills High School when he died. Police said he took the gun out of a locked cabinet hours before the play in November and it discharged.

The gun was loaded with a blank but Tucker, hit at close range, died. It was supposed to be used off-stage for a sound effect.

"They basically left the gun attended with four teenagers every day for three weeks," Ron Thayer said. "If one adult out of all of the adults there would have done one thing right, he'd still be alive."

© 2009 United Press International, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Any reproduction, republication, redistribution and/or modification of any UPI content is expressly prohibited without UPI's prior written consent.

Order reprints




Additional News Stories
Heigl to play Stephanie Plum in film (3 min)
Schiavone posts second-round Paris win (6 min)
Gibbs's handy note pokes fun at Palin (9 min)
Generation 2 Worldwide cribs recalled (11 min)
Alleged counterfeiter made $1.6 billion (13 min)
Wounded police officer shoots teen dead (16 min)
UPI NewsTrack Sports (20 min)
fark
Study shows older women have higher risk of having autistic children.... because the vaccines multiply...
Those body-scanners, which will in no way invade your privacy, are being used to invade the privacy...
Snowpocalypse, Snowmageddon, and now Snoverkill
Couple caught with over 50 alleged fake credit cards. Multiple charges expected
Waffle House architect now scattered, smothered, and covered
Afghan army fills leadership ranks with experienced generals. They fought for the other side, but...