Dad faces felony charges in 2-year-old girl’s shooting death

Posted at 11:24 AM, December 27, 2019 and last updated 4:56 PM, July 21, 2023

NEWARK, Ohio (AP) — An Ohio man has been indicted on involuntary manslaughter and other charges after his 2-year-old daughter was fatally shot at home.

In a 911 call about the Dec. 14 shooting, the girl’s mother said Noelle Massuros was accidentally shot by her 6-year-old brother, who had found a gun that was left out at their Pataskala home. The woman told the dispatcher that her husband, Jason Massuros, left loaded guns in the house.

He was indicted on felony charges of involuntary manslaughter, endangering children and obstructing official business, according to Licking County court records.

A message seeking comment was left Thursday for his attorney.

Massuros, 41, is scheduled for arraignment Tuesday, according to court records. He was initially held on a $500,000 bond.

Police said then that they hadn’t identified who shot the girl.

They said that when they responded to the home after the shooting, Massuros had barricaded himself there with a firearm. He was arrested after several hours of negotiations with police.

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