Polina Gordik Ukraine teen girl has half her face blasted off while posing with shotgun for selfie with best friend. Best friend now faces criminal proceedings.
In search of the perfect photo. A teenage girl has endured horrific injuries after accidentally being shot in the face by her best friend while posing for a selfie with a hunting rifle in Ukraine.
Polina Gordik, 17, was hospitalized in critical condition with half of her face blown off by a bullet.
The dailymail reported the incident occurring while the teen attended a party at her best friend’s house on Wednesday, August 21. The friend’s house was cited as being located in the village of Komyshuvakha in southern Ukraine’s Zaporizhia Oblast region.
During the party her friend named as Veronika, 16, brought her father’s hunting rifle and offered to pose together for a selfie.
They put the rifle with its barrel pointing up between them and were about to take a picture when it suddenly fired.
The bullet hit Polina near the nose, crushing the bones in her face, according to local media reports.
The girl was rushed to intensive care in a critical condition and underwent seven-hour surgery.
‘I was terrified when I saw my own daughter. The half of her face was missing.’
Valery Tsaryov, the head of Intensive Care Department of Zaporizhia Children’s Hospital told local media: ‘The victim was admitted to the facility in a grave condition
‘She underwent a seven-hour surgery and we managed to stabilize her. The girl’s condition is still grave, but a non-life-threatening one at the moment.’
Told Polina’s mother Antonina Gordik: ‘I was terrified when I saw my own daughter. The half of her face was missing.
‘She virtually did not have the nose, it had been crushed by the bullet.
‘Doctors had to remove her left eye as it was damaged too severely to save it.
‘She is conscious, but cannot speak. She is only able to communicate by nodding or shaking her head.
‘When I asked if it was an accident, Polina nodded her head.’
‘A criminal case for accidental causing of grievous bodily harm has been initiated.’
Police have launched a criminal case against Veronika and her parents due to the incident.
Anna Maksimenko, a police spokeswoman said: ‘A criminal case for accidental causing of grievous bodily harm has been initiated. The police are checking whether the rifle was registered and stored properly.’
Veronika and her parents could be jailed for up to five years if found guilty, according to local media reports.
Alina Ivanova, one of the victim’s female friends said: ‘Veronika who shot Polina in the face is her best friend. They always got on well and spent a lot of time together.’
Polina’s school teacher Viktoria Pesotska said: ‘We are deeply shocked. Polina was a little star in her class, always kind and cheerful. It is very hard to accept what happened to her.’
Doctors say they will have to entirely reconstruct Polina’s nose. The teen faces numerous plastic surgeries and a long recovery period.
