Crockett Co. Deputies Investigate Accidental Shooting
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Crockett County deputies are investigating an accidental shooting involving teenagers. They said a male teen accidentally shot his female friend in the abdomen with a 12-gage shotgun, Tuesday night. According to investigators, it happened outside a house on Salem Church Road near Gadsden, where four teenagers were hanging out. “From what I understand from the investigation, the shooter actually was unfamiliar with guns, and was actually going to look at the weapon,” said Detective Andrew Whitehead of the Crockett County Sheriff’s Department. Family members of the shooter told 7 Eyewitness News the loaded gun was lying on the seat of a pickup truck; both the truck and gun belong to his friend. According to family members, as the boy was getting into the truck, he moved the gun so he could sit next to the girl. That is when she was shot. “You’re supposed to unload the gun before you put it in the vehicle, so they should have done that to start with,” said neighbor Gary Thompson. The girl was airlifted to The Med in Memphis, and is in stable condition. Her father told 7 Eyewitness News she had surgery Tuesday night, and had no internal damage. Deputies said she is very lucky. Her injuries could have been a lot worse. “Two to three feet from a shotgun can do a considerable amount of damage, so for her not to receive the brunt of the blast, is definitely a miracle,” Whitehead said. Investigators said they would not identify the teens or if they will file any charges, since it is still under investigation. Once the investigation is complete, they will turn it over to the District Attorney’s office.
