renisha-mcbride
Renisha McBride was shot and killed after her family says she walked to a home to ask for help following a car accident. Police have identified the shooter. But no name has been released. WJBK

Dearborn Heights, Michigan, police say the homeowner who shot 19-year-old Renisha McBride told investigators his shotgun fired accidently when the teen was shot in the face as she stood on his porch, reports the Detroit Free Press.

The shooting occurred on Saturday when McBride walked onto the porch following a car accident she was in. As we reported earlier, officers initially said they believed the shooting was in self-defense when the homeowner thought McBride was an intruder.

“This man’s claiming -- believed the girl was breaking into the home. And he’s also saying the gun discharged accidentally,” Lt. James Serwatowski told the Free Press on Thursday. He added that the teen was not shot in the back of the head as her family members described. “This girl was not shot in the back of the head while leaving the porch,” Serwatowski said. “I don’t know where the family is getting this. She was shot in the front of the face, near the mouth.”

Serwatowski said the shooting happened around 3:40 a.m. and that the car accident occurred around 1:30 a.m. But he offered no details on what authorities believe McBride was up to after the accident. Members of the teen’s family say they are outraged that she was shot while seeking help and believe she was racially profiled. Several protests and rallies are being organized in response to McBride’s death.

“He shot her in the head ... for what? For knocking on his door,” Spinks told the paper. “If he felt scared or threatened, he should have called 911. ... She went looking for help and now she’s dead,” McBride’s aunt Bernita Spinks told the Detroit News.

Police initially told the family that McBride’s body had been “dumped” on the man’s porch, reports WJBK. But they later concluded that she had been shot on the porch as well. The shooter has been identified. But his name has not been released. His .12-gauge shotgun has been seized by police and is currently being analyzed by Michigan State Police. According to the Wayne County Prosecutor’s Office, a Dearborn Heights police investigation will determine if criminal charges are authorized.