CALDWELL COUNTY, N.C. — A 4-year-old boy was shot accidentally at a home in Caldwell County Thursday, deputies confirmed to Channel 9. Investigators are working to determine if anyone should be charged in the case.
Capt. Aaron Barlowe told Channel 9 they got the call around 10:30 a.m. Thursday. Deputies were investigating that morning at the home, which is on Rocky Road near Lenoir.
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The child’s father, who was on his way to the hospital when he spoke to Channel 9′s Ken Lemon, said his son was airlifted to a hospital in Winston-Salem. He said his son was shot in the leg and he was worried about him.
Investigators said the child is expected to be OK.
Barlowe said the shooting is believed to have been accidental, saying the child did not shoot himself.
“I think it’s terrible,” Mary Greene said.
She lives just down the street and was floored by what happened.
“You just don’t know what to say,” she said.
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Those living along Rocky Road, a quiet rural road, are accustomed to the sound of birds echoing across the foothills. They rarely hear anything louder than a passing car; that’s why one sound from the house down the dirt road sticks out.
“A lot of shooting goes on over there,” Greene said.
They are sure it comes from the house where the child was shot, though they didn’t hear shots Thursday morning.
The sheriff’s office is currently investigating what led up to the shooting. It’s not clear if anyone will be charged, but they plan to present their findings to the district attorney’s office who will make that decision.
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