North Carolina Police Officer Accidentally Shoots Teenage Son In The Head

A North Carolina police officer accidentally shot his 15-year-old son in the head, seriously injuring the boy, officials with the Onslow County Sheriff’s Office said.

The incident took place Monday evening at a house in Onslow County. Deputies were called regarding an accidental shooting and upon reaching, they found the teen boy being treated by EMS for a gunshot wound to the head, WCNT reported.

The boy was transported to Naval Trauma Center on Camp Lejeune and was then sent to Vidant Medical Center in Greenville. He sustained life-threatening injuries from the gunshot, according to the outlet. The father and his son were not immediately identified, though deputies said the man is an officer with North Carolina’s Jacksonville Police Department.

"This is a tragic event, and this matter remains under investigation by the Onslow County Sheriff’s Office," District Attorney Ernie Lee said in a statement Tuesday. "The reports, statements and other evidence from the investigation will be provided to this office to determine what actions, if any, will be taken."

Any update on the boy's condition wasn't available. The Jacksonville Police Department said it is assisting the Sheriff's office with the probe into the matter. It wasn't immediately clear if any charges will be filed against the police officer.

Earlier this week, a 14-year-old girl California girl died after she was hit by a stray bullet in a clothing store's dressing room. The bullet was from the firearm of a Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) officer who was attempting to shoot an armed male suspect. The armed suspect reportedly threatened to throw things from the upper floor of the store and then assaulted a woman on a bicycle. The man was later fatally shot by cops. It was unclear if the teen was inside the dressing room to take cover or she was already inside it.

In a similar incident this month, a California man accidentally shot his 14-year-old son while fiddling with his newly-purchased gun. Believing the gun was empty, the father pointed at a bedroom wall and fired, but a bullet flew from the gun through the wall and hit the child, injuring him. The teen survived the gunshot injury and the bullet was removed from his body at a hospital.