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Mother Whose Husband Killed Their Teen Son In Gun Range Accident Says She Has ‘Never Felt Anger Toward Him’

By Tara West
Published on: 13:22 PST, Jul 27, 2016

Elizabeth Brumby’s 14-year-old son Stephen was killed by his father Clayton Brumby in a horrific gun range accident. Following the incident, Clayton made a startling public statement noting that “a gun didn’t kill my boy, I did.” The man says he must live with the fact that he killed his son and that he is solely responsible for the fatal accident. The grieving mother says that though Stephen’s death has created a “chasm as big as the Grand Canyon” in their family, she says she has “never felt anger” towards her husband Clayton for the accident as she knows it was a “horrific accident” and one that the man she “loves more than anything” will have to live with for the rest of his life.

The Daily Mail reports that on July 3, father Clayton Brumby and son Stephen went to a shooting range along with two other teenage siblings to do some target practice. As Clayton fired shots at the target, a hot shell casing went down the back of the father’s shirt. The father frantically tried to get the casing out of his shirt while lifting his arms into the air to retrieve the hot shell. However, his finger was still on the trigger during the ordeal and, as he lifted his arm, he inadvertently fired a shot into the air. The bullet bounced off the ceiling and hit young Stephen in the neck, severing his jugular vein. The teen would die after doctors at a nearby hospital were unable to save him.

Following the horrific death of Stephen Brumby, Clayton spoke out publicly noting that “a gun” was not responsible for his son’s death. Instead, Clayton says he is taking full responsibility for his child’s death.

“A gun didn’t kill my boy, I did.”

Clayton says that though he did not intentionally kill his son, he was responsible for every round of ammunition in that weapon and he made a mistake — a mistake that would cost his son his life. Clayton notes that he is going to have to live with the knowledge that he killed his son for the rest of his life and that no one is responsible but himself.

Now Stephen’s mother Elizabeth is also speaking out about the accident and how it has changed the Brumby family forever. Elizabeth notes that though Stephen’s death has left a “chasm as big as the Grand Canyon” in the family, she says she does not hold anger towards her husband and says there is no forgiveness necessary as there is nothing to forgive.

“My son was shot by the man I love more than anybody in the whole word. Since that moment, I can honestly say to the core of my being that I have not felt a nanosecond of anger towards him. I said it that day and I’ll keep on saying it: I’m not going to forgive you because there is nothing to forgive. I’m not going to speak those words to him. It was a horrific accident and that’s that. I know he’s got enough to live with. I’m not going to add to that pile.”

Elizabeth says though her marriage is still as strong as ever and her love for Clayton will not change, she says that life without Stephen is difficult and that she is only able to move forward as she knows her living children need her.

“I’ve known the whole time that I’ve still got to love. My living children need me. But I don’t know how I’m going to do this without Stevie. He has left a chasm, Grand Canyon wide, in this family that can’t be filled, but I realize I must live. I must love my children I am still blessed to have.”

What do you think about Elizabeth Brumby’s statements following the horrific gun range accident that killed her teenage son?

[Photo by Scott Olsen/ Getty Images]

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