911 calls describe gunsmith's death at his Clermont County shop

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• published: 22 Jun 2016
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AMELIA, Ohio (WKRC) - The 911 calls to the Clermont County Dispatch center painted a tragic picture of the last minutes of Kay Jay Gun Shop owner Jim Baker's life. Two callers described an accidental shooting during a concealed carry certification class. "We were doing malfunction misfires," a caller told the 911 dispatcher. "We have plastic bullets and I just- we just double-checked the bullets and there was a live round in one of the guns. It went through the wall and shot the owner in the neck." Jim Baker died at the scene. The Clermont County Sheriff's office will be investigating the incident and was expected to present its findings to the Clermont County Prosecutor Tuesday, June 21. Neighbors described Baker and the shop as a "good neighbor." The gunsmith was known to pitch in on snowy days and plow neighbors' driveways. Baker's family asked to be left alone and blocked the drive to his home with a trackhoe. One customer brought a potted plant and laid it near the locked gate outside the store. Several cars and trucks drove slowly passed the store Monday, June 20. Dennis Cooper, who served in Vietnam at the same time Baker served, stopped to pay respects. "It's terrible to lose a good friend like that, " Cooper said softly. "I don't have a lot of what I call good friends but he was at the top of that list."