CALDWELL COUNTY, N.C. — A 16-year-old in Caldwell County is accused of firing a gun into an apartment where a 3-month-old was sleeping, but officials say they won’t face charges.
Deputies say it happened at an apartment complex along Eli Lane in Sawmills. The bullet went through a wall socket in the living room, leaving a hole in the socket plate near where the baby girl was sleeping in the unit next door.
While the 16-year-old who fired the gun was not charged by the magistrate, Channel 9’s Dave Faherty learned an 18-year-old has been charged with contributing to the delinquency of a minor.
Investigators say they reached out to juvenile justice and were told to seek charges for shooting into an occupied dwelling, but the magistrate didn’t find intent. However, court papers show an 18-year-old is accused of not securing that handgun. He said teenagers were playing with the gun at the time when it went off.
The mother of the baby girl, Mackenzie Ellis, said she is thankful her daughter wasn’t hurt.
“All the sudden you heard the sound,” she said. “We just ran out. Got her out. It’s scary a bullet went through my wall.”
Ellis said she was disappointed that the 16-year-old is not facing consequences for his actions. She hopes the incident reminds people to be safe around guns.
“My daughter could have died. This is every parent’s worst nightmare,” Ellis said. “This is my first child and this should have never happened. This is not normal. Bullets do not go flying through your wall.”
Investigators recovered a Smith and Wesson handgun, which was returned to the 16-year-old’s family.
Deputies say they are stepping up patrols in the neighborhood to have more of a police presence in the area.