A North Carolina teen is fighting for his life after his police officer father shot him in the head in an apparent accident on Monday afternoon.
The Onslow County Sheriff’s Office said the shooting happened in their home. The father is an officer for the nearby Jacksonville Police Department.
Neither the 15-year-old nor his father has been identified, but officials said the teen has a life-threatening injury.
Onslow County District Attorney Ernie Lee said an investigation needs to be completed before criminal charges, if any, can be determined.
“This is a tragic event, and this matter remains under investigation by the Onslow County Sheriff’s Office,” Lee said in a press release. “The reports, statements and other evidence from the investigation will be provided to this office to determine what actions, if any, will be taken. I continue to remain in contact with the Onslow County Sheriff’s Office in this ongoing investigation.”
Lt. Christopher Funcke of the Jacksonville Police Department said the department is cooperating in the investigation.
“The Onslow County Sheriff’s Office is conducting an investigation into the incident and the Jacksonville Police Department is fully cooperating with their investigation. We ask that our community members keep our employee and their family in their thoughts and prayers at this time,” Funcke told WNCT.
The teen is currently at a local hospital after initially being taken to the Naval Trauma Center Camp Lejeune.