David Toborowsky’s 18-year-old son, Jacob, who appeared in two episodes of the American reality TV show 90 Day Fiancé alongside his dad and new Thai stepmom, Chanoknat “Annie” Suwan, was shot in the face in an accident involving his friend and a handgun this week.
Toborowsky spoke to Coconuts and said that his son miraculously survived the accident — which happened on Monday — but still had the .22 caliber bullet lodged between his jawbone and cheek. He was allegedly shot accidentally by a 17-year-old male friend who was fooling around with a family handgun that he allegedly thought was not loaded.
The 17-year-old’s name has not been made public since he is a minor. Toborowsky told us that his son has been friends with the shooter for years and that he believed he was a good kid.
The reality TV star said that he and Annie were at a fundraiser nearby when they got the call about the accident. When they arrived at the friend’s home, the police were putting up crime scene tape and they were taken to talk to homicide detectives after seeing Jacob, who was awake at the hospital despite the accident.
Jacob’s face is still very swollen and he underwent surgery on Wednesday. As the swelling on the wound goes down, his doctors hope they will be able to remove the bullet.
Amazingly, Jacob has no brain damage but the family is worried about the psychological trauma he has been through. They also want the shooter and his family held accountable for their actions.
“There were some inconsistencies in the story. We’re not sure they called the police right away. He’s a juvenile, so I can’t find out much,” said Toborowsky.
He noted that, at first, the shooter “claimed that Jacob shot himself but police quickly pointed out that the ballistics, the blood prints, and the location of the wound did not make sense for that. Then he went back and said that he did it.”
So far, the boy has been charged with first degree assault, said Toborowsky. There will be a hearing on Feb. 15 that will decide whether he is tried as a minor or as an adult.
The punishment for that crime, should the shooter be tried as an adult under Kentucky state law, where the Toborowsky family lives, can carry a decades-long prison sentence.
Jacob, however, is fortunate since most victims don’t survive a gunshot to the head. An office on the scene told Toborowsky that “Jacob is one of the luckiest people I’ve ever met.”
For her part, Annie was shocked by the accident and it may only reinforce the idea held by many foreigners that Americans have easy access to guns and that access often results in tragedy.
We wish Jacob a speedy recovery.
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