Friday, Sept. 23, 2005 | 10:18 a.m.
The day before a 12-year-old boy killed himself with a 12-gauge shotgun his father left unattended in their Henderson home, the boy asked his father if the ammunition he was holding was meant for the gun.
Thirty-five-year-old Geoffrey Wells has been charged with one felony count each of child abuse and neglect and performance of act in reckless disregard of persons or property in connection with the Aug. 26 death of Syber Wells in the 300 block of West Basic Road in Henderson.
Wells is also facing two gross misdemeanor counts of child neglect and endangerment because Wells' 10-year-old and 8-year-old sons were also at the home at the time of their brother's death.
When interviewed by Henderson Police Geoffrey Wells volunteered a story in which he, Syber and his other two sons were watching the film "Jurassic Park." He said Syber asked him what gun would be best for "blowing a dinosaur's head off." Wells told his son "a 12-gauge would kill any animal."
In an affidavit for a warrant, authored by Henderson Police Officer Felicia Benjamins, the officer said Wells' 8-year-old son was "sitting on the couch crying and visibly upset" before telling her what happened during the early morning hours of Aug. 26.
Benjamins said the 8-year-old said, "We just ate breakfast and we were doing chores and Syber said he was going to kill himself."
She said the boy told her his 10-year-old brother "tried to talk Syber out of it and the next thing they knew they heard a boom."
The officer said the 8-year-old said he "went to the backroom and saw Syber on the floor and blood all over the walls."
The report states officers in the living room, dining room and master bedroom found 11 unsecured firearms and several canisters of ammunition.
Mikayla Lytton, who had babysat the boys since July, said "every time I go over there they're (guns) always out in the open."
Lytton said on Aug. 23 she saw the guns spread out all over the house, but on Aug. 24 they seemed to be put away. She told police she asked the boys where the guns were and Syber responded saying "I can't tell you, something bad is going to happen."
When Geoffrey Wells was asked by police whether he locked up the guns he told them he had a gun cabinet, but no safe. Wells said the case could be locked, but wasn't locked.
He said the guns had only been out because he and the boys had been camping and had brought the guns along.
Geoffrey Wells said his kids have been shooting since they were young and have "shot over 20,000 rounds."
When asked if there were other guns in the house aside from the shotgun Syber used, Geoffrey Wells said, "Oh yeah, I assume so, you guys took em' all, least I hope you did."
The issue of access to guns in Wells' home was raised by his ex-wife during child custody hearings before Family Court Judge Cheryl Moss in April.
Maria Wells and her lawyer told Moss that Geoffrey Wells left loaded guns around his home where they were readily accessible to the children.
The couple's 8-year-old and 10-year-old sons said in statements to the Family Mediation Center that the safe in which Wells was to have kept the weapons locked was, in fact, unlocked because he had lost the key.
In addressing the gun issue on April 13, Moss said, 'I don't see a problem with the gun issues as long as, I guess, they are trained as a military family. They grow up like that. It's a unique situation.'
After reading the affidavits of the 8-year-old and 10-year-old in court on Aug. 8 in which the boys said loaded guns were unlocked at Wells' home, Moss took Wells' word at face value that the loaded guns were locked up.
Moss awarded Wells joint custody of Syber Wells and his two younger siblings, with each parent having the children every other week.
That arrangement changed when Syber Wells died.
Clark County Child Protective Services is currently conducting an investigation into allegations of abuse and/or neglect of Maria Wells' children while under the care of Geoffrey Wells. She will maintain full custody of her 8-year-old and 10-year-old until CPS grants permission for joint custody to continue.
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