Current:Home > Stocks6-year-old boy accidentally shoots younger brother, killing him; great-grandfather charged-InfoLens
6-year-old boy accidentally shoots younger brother, killing him; great-grandfather charged
View Date:2024-12-23 14:25:25
A 6-year-old North Carolina boy accidentally shot his younger brother, killing the boy, authorities announced last week.
The shooting happened on Oct. 8 in Greenville, about 85 miles east of Raleigh, said the Pitt County Sheriff’s Office in a news release.
Someone called the deputies just after 7 p.m. that night, and when authorities arrived, they found a 5-year-old child who had been shot in the head. The child, identified by the Pitt County Sheriff's Office and Pitt County Schools as 5-year-old Karter Rosenboro, was taken to a hospital where he was eventually pronounced dead.
Accidental shooting:Man shot by 2-year-old at Virginia home
Gun owner charged is boy's great-grandfather, authorities say
On Oct. 10, detectives arrested 72-year-old Rayfield Ruffin, who owned the gun and the home where the shooting took place. The sheriff’s office said he was charged due to a violation of statute 14-315.1 and failed to store the firearm to protect the children in the home.
Ruffin was released after posting an unsecured $2,000 bond.
"It was a terribly sad and tragic event," wrote Sgt. Lee Darnell in an email to USA TODAY. He said Ruffin, the man arrested in connection to the case, is Karter's great-grandfather.
A lawyer representing Ruffin did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
North Carolina boy loved to make others laugh, was learning Spanish
Karter had a “bright beautiful smile,” his family wrote, reflecting on his short life in an online obituary.
He was a student at Northwest Elementary School, his school district confirmed. He was in kindergarten and was learning Spanish.
“His favorite word was ‘sientate’ which means sit down, something he never did,” his family said.
The boy had just started to show his personality more and loved making people around him laugh. The 5-year-old loved to eat macaroni and cheese and had a fascination with cars.
He also owned a hat and a gold chain he’d wear, pairing them with sunglasses. His favorite colors were blue, red and green and like most children his age, he took to a wall in his grandparents’ home and wrote his name in blue. His name is still written there, his family said.
“After learning about the elections and Vice President Kamala Harris from his grandmother he was eager to learn more,” his family wrote.
The kindergartener lost his first tooth shortly before he died and got $10 from the tooth fairy, his family recalled. He spent his money on candy.
Karter was a twin, the older of the two, but his sister Khloe “was always his protector,” his family wrote.
The 5-year-old leaves behind three sisters and two brothers, as well as his mother and father.
Kenisha Salley Boomer is a friend of the boy’s grandfather and shared a GoFundMe link and asked that people donate.
“If you can donate anything please do,” she shared on Facebook Tuesday. “Sending prayers to Terry & his wife, his mother & father and the entire family.”
Accidental shooting:4-year-old girl in Texas shot by grandpa accidentally in stable condition: Authorities
Unintentional firearm injury is one of the leading causes of death among youth: CDC
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, unintentional injury is one of the leading causes of death among U.S. children aged 0 to 17 years old. Firearms are considered a leading injury method, the CDC reported.
The agency also reported that one-half of unintentional firearm injury deaths among children happen at home or while playing with or showing the firearm to another person.
"Overall, firearms used in unintentional injury deaths were often stored both loaded and unlocked and were commonly accessed from nightstands and other sleeping areas," the CDC reported.
The agency said it's possible to reduce these accidental deaths by keeping firearms locked, unloaded and separate from ammunition.
Saleen Martin is a reporter on USA TODAY's NOW team. She is from Norfolk, Virginia – the 757. Follow her on Twitter at@SaleenMartin or email her at[email protected].
veryGood! (5131)
Related
- Mike Williams Instagram post: Steelers' WR shades Aaron Rodgers 'red line' comments
- 6-year-old boy dies after shooting at July Fourth gathering, suspect at large
- Is it a hurricane or a tropical storm? Here’s a breakdown of extreme weather terms
- David Byrne: Why radio should pay singers like Beyoncé and Willie Nelson
- Insurance magnate pleads guilty as government describes $2B scheme
- How bad is inflation, really? A fresh look at the economy and CPI this week
- Rikers Island inmates sue NYC claiming they were trapped in cells during jail fire that injured 20
- How Russia, Ukraine deploy new technologies, tactics on the battlefield
- Prosecutors say some erroneous evidence was given jurors at ex-Sen. Bob Menendez’s bribery trial
- Arizona congressional delegation introduces $5 billion tribal water rights legislation
Ranking
- Asian sesame salad sold in Wegmans supermarkets recalled over egg allergy warning
- You don't have to be Reese Witherspoon to start a book club: Follow these 6 tips
- Minnie Driver Says Marrying Ex-Fiancé Josh Brolin Would’ve Been the “Biggest Mistake” of Her Life
- UW regents approve raises for 8 chancellors, set up bonuses for retaining freshmen students
- Report: Jaguars' Trevor Lawrence could miss rest of season with shoulder injury
- Teen brothers die in suspected drownings in Maine
- Real Estate Mogul Brandon Miller, Husband of Mama & Tata Influencer Candice Miller, Dead at 43
- Leader of Australian territory where girl was killed by crocodile says species cannot outnumber region's population
Recommendation
-
'We suffered great damage': Fierce California wildfire burns homes, businesses
-
Karen Read’s defense team says jurors were unanimous on acquitting her of murder
-
Devers hits 2 more homers vs. Yankees, Red Sox win 3-0 for New York’s 15th loss in 20 games
-
Paris Olympics 2024: USWNT soccer group and medal schedule
-
Birth control and abortion pill requests have surged since Trump won the election
-
U.S. men's Olympic soccer team announced. Here's who made the cut.
-
CLIMATE GLIMPSE: Heat and a hurricane descend on the U.S., other wild weather around the world
-
What is the best retirement age for Social Security? Here's what statistics say