Ohio safe storage bill would honor Columbus girl killed in shooting

Amya Frazier, 11, went to her relative's house to play video games. She ended up dead, shot by her 14-year-old cousin with an unsecured gun in Columbus.

"All I remember was screaming and dropping to my knees, begging God to let her live and be OK," said Amya's mother, Hope.

But Amya would not survive the gunshot wound to her head. "My whole world crumbled," Hope said.

Now, Hope, Amya's grandmother, Amy Zahrani, and Amya's loved ones are advocating for stronger penalties for adults who don't lock up their guns, resulting in disastrous ends. Amya will never become the doctor or professional soccer player she dreamed of being − but other children could, her mother said.

For years, Democrats have tried to enact safe storage laws in Ohio, but those efforts have gone nowhere in the GOP-controlled Legislature, concerned about infringing on gun rights. State Rep. Darnell Brewer, D-Cleveland, is taking a slightly different approach and hoping for better results.

Brewer's new bill would penalize adults if children gained access to unsecured firearms used to injure or kill someone. The penalties would range from a first-degree misdemeanor to a fourth-degree felony, depending on the severity of the injury.

"This bill does not create a storage mandate," Brewer said during a May 7 news conference. "Instead, it imposes accountability only when a minor gains access to a neglectfully stored firearm and harm results. In other words, there is no violation unless the child actually gets a hold of the gun."

  
Amya's death isn't the only instance of Ohio children accessing unsecured firearms to tragic ends. In 2019, a 6-year-old boy fatally shot his 2-year-old sister in Pataskala. In 2023, a 3-year-old shot his 7-year-old sister in the head in Cleveland, WHIO reported. In 2025, a 3-year-old fatally shot himself with an unsecured gun on Columbus' Southeast Side.

Locking up guns or storing them unloaded was associated with "significant reductions" in the risk of accidental or self-inflicted firearm injuries and deaths among teens and children, one study found. Twenty-six states, including Florida and Texas, have some version of a safe storage law.

But groups like Buckeye Firearms Association say there are already penalties for parents whose children shoot or kill others with unsecured firearms. "We're not convinced that we need yet more laws in this area," executive director Dean Rieck said.

In Amya's case, her uncle Matthew Seymour was charged with involuntary manslaughter and endangering children. His son, the 14-year-old shooter, faces a charge of delinquency reckless homicide. The cases remain pending.

Brewer's proposal would also offer a tax break for the purchase of firearm storage and locking devices. He also wants to allocate $30 million from Ohioans' unclaimed funds to fund a new Office of Violence Prevention within the Ohio Department of Health.

Amya's grandmother, Zahrani, asked lawmakers to see the 11-year-old as more than a statistic or headline and make a change. Amya loved soccer and butterflies. "She had a laugh that could fill a room and a heart big enough to hold everyone she met," Zahrani said.

"We believe our homes are safe. We believe our children know better. We believe we have time," Zahrani said. "But I'm standing here to tell you, we don't have time. Amya didn't get more time."

State government reporter Jessie Balmert can be reached at jbalmert@usatodayco.com or @jbalmert on X.