Teen killed by his semi-automatic handgun

SANDUSKY — An 18-year-old man died last Thursday from a gunshot wound in what police are calling a "terrible accident."John Verhovec Jr., of the 1100 block of Perry St., was showing off a semi-automatic handgun to friends at his home when the gun went off.Police received the call about a person injured by a gunshot just after 11 a.m. Verhovec died at the scene.Verhovec's friends told officers he had taken the magazine out the pistol, but there was still one round in the chamber."There's always one round in the chamber with most semi-automatic pistols," Sandusky police detective Kevin Youskievicz said.Many of the people present at the home at the time of the shooting were around Verhovec's age, but were still minors."We spoke to the the people there. Nothing indicated it wasn't anything other than an unfortunate accident," Youskievicz said.Only one shot was fired. Police conducted a gun residue test on everyone present, but the results are not completed yet."There was nothing to indicate some kind of foul play," Youskievicz said.The firearm was described as belonging to Verhovac, but officers are unsure how he obtained it since in Ohio you must be age 21 or older to buy or own a handgun."He could have bought it from someone else," Youskievicz said "We don't know how he got it, but we were told that it was his."The incident is still under investigation, but police emphasized there is nothing to indicate foul play.More Sandusky police articles Reach reporter Michael Harrington at michaelharrington@sanduskyregister.com, follow the Register at Facebook.com/SanduskyRegister