On the evening of December 5, 2025, a tragedy unfolded in the Hilltop neighborhood of Columbus, Ohio, resulting in the untimely death of Amya Frazier, an 11-year-old female. She was visiting her cousin’s home on South Wheatland Avenue, a rare occurrence as she had only been allowed to visit that specific house once before. Known for her love of soccer, butterflies, and video games, Amya had asked to go over to play "Call of Duty" with her family members.
Inside the residence, which was occupied by approximately ten to eleven children at the time, an unsecured firearm had been left on top of a mini-fridge. Her uncle, Matthew Seymour, later admitted to authorities that he had retrieved the weapon earlier that morning to check for a potential prowler after hearing his dogs bark but had neglected to return it to its lockbox.
While the children were playing, Amya's 14-year-old cousin discovered the handgun. According to prosecutors, the teenager handled the weapon, cocking the hammer and pulling the trigger once, which resulted in a click. He then cocked the hammer and pulled the trigger a second time, causing the gun to discharge. Amya was struck by the bullet and suffered critical injuries. First responders arrived at the scene around 6:30 p.m. and rushed her to Nationwide Children's Hospital. Despite the efforts of medical staff, her condition did not improve, and she succumbed to her injuries three days later on December 8, 2025. The Franklin County Coroner’s Office subsequently ruled her death a homicide resulting from the gunshot wound.
In the wake of the shooting, law enforcement launched an investigation that led to charges against two of Amya's relatives. Her 14-year-old cousin was charged in Franklin County Juvenile Court with a delinquency count of reckless homicide. Due to his age, his identity was not released to the public. Several weeks later, police arrested Amya’s uncle, 33-year-old Matthew Seymour. A grand jury indicted him on charges of involuntary manslaughter and endangering children for his role in leaving the loaded firearm accessible to the minors in the home. Seymour expressed remorse in media interviews, describing the event as a mistake that his family would pay for forever, emphasizing that he never intended for harm to come to his niece.
