In the late spring of 2022, a sense of profound loss enveloped a community in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Gabriel Joseph Hojnacki, a 13-year-old boy, passed away unexpectedly on Saturday, May 28, 2022. At the time of his passing, Gabriel was a seventh-grade student at Kenowa Hills Public Schools. He was known for his love of the outdoors and adventurous spirit, often found snowboarding, skateboarding, fishing, or riding with his bicycling group, the Big Rippers 616.
The tragic incident
unfolded on a Saturday evening at a residence on Alpine Avenue Northwest. Gabriel and a friend, also 13, were playing with a. 45 caliber handgun when it discharged, striking Gabriel in the chest. He was rushed to a local hospital where he succumbed to his injuries shortly after arrival. The initial investigation by police suggested that the shooting was accidental.
In the aftermath of the devastating event, legal proceedings commenced. The 13-year-old friend who was with Gabriel at the time of the shooting was taken into custody and subsequently charged with careless discharge of a firearm causing death. Due to his status as a juvenile, his identity was not publicly released.
The investigation also led to charges against the owner of the firearm, George Jay Gross Jr., the grandfather of the other boy. He was not present at the home when the incident occurred, as he was at work. The handgun had been stored unlocked in his bedroom dresser. In August 2022, the Kent County Prosecutor's Office announced that Gross Jr. was charged with involuntary manslaughter in connection with Gabriel's death. The family of Gabriel expressed gratitude for the accountability sought through the charges brought against the gun owner.
