Details in shooting of 3-year-old surface

By Jackie Ayres
Register-Herald Reporter

December 01, 2008 10:22 pm

— Details in the case of a 3-year old boy shot Saturday by his father are starting to come out.
According to police, Gary Wayne Garretson, 43, of Coal City, was charged with death of a child by a parent, guard-ian, custodian or other person by child abuse after shooting his son, Anthony Garretson, with a 12-gauge shotgun.
According to an incident report on file at Raleigh County Magistrate Court, the elder Garretson made a statement that he pointed the gun in the direction of his son and pulled the trigger, allegedly not realizing that the gun was loaded.
He stated that he had done this in the past as “a bit of a game” with his son, saying he (the father) was going to “get him.”
When playing this game, Garretson said the young boy would respond, “You can’t get me, Daddy.”
The shooting was reported to authorities at 12:50 p.m. Saturday. When police arrived, they found Anthony dead at the scene.
No one else was present in the residence when the incident occurred, according to the report.
Garretson is being held at Southern Regional Jail.
According to sheriff’s Chief of Detectives Sgt. Larry Lilly, Garretson could face 10 to 40 years if convicted.
Lilly says the motive as well as other circumstances involving the case are still under investigation at this time and more information will be released when the investigation is complete.
— E-mail: jayres@register-herald.com