CLEVELAND COUNTY, N.C. — A 17-year-old died Saturday when he accidentally shot himself while cleaning his hunting rifle, officials said.
Michael Parsons, a rising senior at Crest High School, died at his home in Boiling Springs.
He was cleaning his Remington hunting rifle around 3 p.m. when it went off, police said.
Michael's 19-year-old sister, Rebecca, was the only person home at the time. Their parents, David and Myrtle Parsons, were traveling to Fort Bragg.
David Parsons said he taught his son how to handle guns and made him take hunting and gun safety courses.
"I always told him, 'Never trust a gun you didn't clear yourself','" he told the Star.
Michael leaves behind his mother and father; his older sisters, Rebecca, Krystal and Jessica; and a 6-year-old niece.
"I'm just grateful for the 17 years that we had him," David Parsons said.
Cox Media Group
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