SOPHIA N.C. – Today, the Randolph County Sheriff’s Office announced they have filed charges against the father of a two-year-old who suffered an accidental gunshot wound to the leg after getting ahold of a firearm earlier this month.
On October 13th 2023, the Randolph County Sheriff’s Office responded to an accidental shooting on Beckerdite Rd. in Sophia. The victim, a two-year-old, had suffered a gunshot wound to the leg and was being treated by Guil-Rand Fire when the deputies arrived.
An investigation into the incident found that four individuals, two adults and two children, had driven a pickup truck out onto a recently purchased property and walked around before returning to the truck. “After driving an estimated 10 yards, they heard a loud bang after the two-year-old accidentally pulled the trigger of a firearm that was stored in the truck,” according to the press release.
All four individuals were in the front seat at the time of the occurrence. The father, identified by the Sheriff’s Office as Chase William Lee, rendered first aid and drove from the back of their property to the roadway in order for fire, EMS, and law enforcement to locate them more easily.
EMS transported the victim to an area hospital for treatment where it was determined that the wound to the leg was superficial.
Following the investigation by the Sheriff’s Office’s Criminal Investigations Division, the details of the case were presented to the magistrate, who found probable cause to issue a criminal summons against Lee for misdemeanor give weapon to minor due to storing/leaving a firearm in the condition that it could be accessed and discharged by a minor. A court date was set for November 20, 2023, in Randolph County District Court.