Vigil held in Decatur for 9 year-old gunshot victim - WFXG FOX54 Augusta - Your News One Hour Earlier

Dozens of family, friends and classmates held a candlelight prayer vigil for 9-year-old Sebastian Swartz in Decatur Wednesday evening.

Sebastian was accidentally shot Monday while handling his father's 9mm pistol. 

The Brown County sheriff's department says the gun discharged when Sebastian's 14-year-old sister tried to take the weapon away from him.

The boy was airlifted to Cincinnati Children's hospital where he remains in critical condition in intensive care.

Jennifer Lainhart describes herself as a family member who says the vigil means a lot.

"It's a big deal....it really is because I think the more prayers, the more chance we have...the more God's listening," she said.

Pastor Kevin Jodrey led the gathering of family and friends in a prayer for Sebastian's recovery and strength for his family. He says his reason for being there was simple.

"Support the family....pray for them. Pray for the family in addition to pray for healing for the son," he said.

Karri Daniels' has a son who is a classmate of Sebastian and says her heart goes out to the family. "Our community is very sad by his accident. We're very helpless and we wanted to show our support for Sebastian and his family."

Keith Moore brought the candles for the vigil and says he's known the family for years. "Pray for his recovery and we thought the whole community ought to be involved. Any child in that kind of injury has got to have all the prayers he can get. That's why, you know, its just a community effort too to show their support for the family."  

Danny Hicks, an Army veteran and firefighter who called 911 immediately after the shooting was also on hand and he says the ordeal is really affecting Sebastian's father, Chris Swartz.

"Chris is also a combat veteran. Its taken its toll on him, he's holding up very well, I guess as well as can be expected. He's a good man and a good friend. I wish him the best and his family. Hopefully this tragedy will turn around and everything will be OK," said Hicks.

Hicks tells FOX19 that Sebastian is breathing on his own and is responding to his mother's touch, but he still has a tough fight ahead of him.

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