ELON, N.C. — An Elon police officer has been charged with misdemeanor failure to secure a firearm following the accidental shooting death of his young son, according to the Guilford County Sheriff's Office.
Deputies were called to a home on Nellie Gray Place in Whitsett on the morning of June 16. They found a child with a gunshot wound inside. The child was rushed to a nearby hospital but later died.
Investigators said the child's father, an Elon police officer, was not at home when the shooting happened.
Elon police said the officer is on administrative leave. Chief Kelly Blackwelder said the department is offering full cooperation in the investigation.
"While extremely tragic, this incident serves as a harsh reminder to gun owners that weapons should always remain secure. Particularly if minors live in, or have access to, a residence where weapons are stored," Elon Police Chief Kelly Blackwelder said in a statement the day after the shooting.
The Elon Police Department released a statement in part it reads:
"We continue to support him and his family as they grieve the loss of their son. "
The police department also said the officer will "remain on paid administrative leave pending the conclusion of the department’s administrative internal investigation. Upon completion of the internal investigation, if any violations of departmental policies are found, then the appropriate disciplinary actions will be taken."