14 DAY TRIAL // Police responding to a call about a shooting at a Fairmont, North Carolina home have been told that a man has accidentally shot his son while cleaning a weapon.
The Fayetteville Observer detailed that authorities were alerted about the father fatally wounding the 10-year-old boy on Sunday, March 24, at around 4 p.m.
According to Robeson County police, 34-year-old Christopher Stanlane was cleaning a shotgun while sitting on the couch in his 800 block of Gaddy Road home.
His son, Christopher Stanlane Jr. was lying in front of him on the floor and watching TV at the time, AL.com writes.
Stanlane had the butt of the loaded 12-gauge shotgun next to his son. His wife, who was in a separate room in the house at the time, called 911 after realizing what had happened.
Captain Anthony Thompson, speaking for the Sheriff's Office describes that the boy has incurred a gunshot wound to the head. He was pronounced dead after being transported to Southeastern Regional Medical Center.
"He (Stanlane Sr.) said he was wiping the side of the gun down and the gun went off and shot the son in the head," Thompson explains.
Police did not have information about whether or not Stanlane made sure that the gun wasn't loaded, and have not arrested the father as of yet.
We last reported about an accidental shooting in North Carolina in January, when a 36-year-old man trying to sell a weapon of the same caliber at the Dixie Gun and Knife Show wounded three people, including a retired sheriff's deputy.
Gary Lynn Wilson's shotgun went off as he was taking it out of its case for gun show staff to evaluate. It fired birdshot shells, causing minor injuries to the former deputy who was working at the show and two other sellers.