In the quiet of a September morning in Milford Township, a profound tragedy unfolded, forever altering the lives of a family. On September 12, 2016, two-year-old Benjamin Austin Smith, a young boy from Quakertown, Pennsylvania, died from a single gunshot wound to the chest. The incident occurred inside his grandparents' home, where he resided with his father, Nicholas Wyllie.
The morning had started like any other, with father and son watching television together.
Benjamin, a toddler with a known fascination for toy guns, decided he wanted to go to his room to watch Winnie the Pooh. A short while later, a loud bang echoed through the house. Wyllie rushed to his own bedroom to find his son on the floor, bleeding. He had discovered his father's unsecured. 45 caliber handgun.
Emergency services were immediately called, and they arrived to find Benjamin in the kitchen, where they worked to save him. The young boy was rushed to St. Luke's Hospital in Quakertown but was pronounced dead shortly after his arrival. The investigation that followed revealed that the handgun was left unsecured in Wyllie's bedroom. It was also learned that both of his parents had taught Benjamin how to hold a toy pistol with a two-handed grip.
In the wake of his son's death, Nicholas Wyllie was arrested and faced a series of charges, including involuntary manslaughter, recklessly endangering another person, and endangering the welfare of a child. He ultimately pleaded guilty to these charges. Wyllie, an Army veteran with no prior criminal record, expressed his profound remorse during the court proceedings, stating, 'That was my boy.' He was sentenced to serve up to two years in county jail. The tragic event led to a local gun safety campaign in Bucks County called 'Ben's Campaign -- Lock It Up,' which aimed to provide free gun locks to prevent similar incidents.
