Grandfather Shoots and Kills 16-year-old Grandson After Magazine is Removed

Royce Osborn, 16, was accidentally shot and killed by his grandfather in Clinton, Missouri. Neighbors said that Royce lived with his mother and grandfather, 70-year-old Thomas Ribby, and wanted to have a future in law enforcement. A witness at the scene could be heard on the 911 call asking the teen who shot him, and he is heard responding “Grandpa, accidentally.”

Ribby told police that earlier in the evening he had given his unloaded Glock .45 to the teen “to play with,” and when he took it back, he put a loaded magazine in it and placed it in a case next to his bed. The teen removed the gun from the case and was playing with it outside the apartment. Ribby stated that at some point he went outside, took the loaded magazine out of the gun, thought the chamber was empty and pulled the trigger, shooting his grandson in the back. Police have recovered the weapon and Ribby has been charged with endangering the welfare of a child resulting in death and resisting arrest.

Royce was a student at the local high school. “He told the kids at school he always wanted to be a police officer. He always wore a vest and carried around a walkie-talkie,” said a neighbor.

Sources:

JoBeth Davis, “16-year-old Shot and Killed in Clinton, Missouri, Overnight,” kmbc.com (September 18, 2023).

Jennifer Rodriguez, “‘Papa Shot Me.’ Teen Dies After Grandpa Pulls Trigger Thinking Gun Was Unloaded, Cops Say,” kansascity.com (September 19, 2023).