FOUR OAKS – A 48 year-old man has been charged with two felony offenses after authorities said he accidentally shot a 7 year-old child who was playing outside on Thanksgiving afternoon.
Eric Sheran McDonald of E. Sanders Street, Four Oaks was arrested Dec. 3 and charged with assault with a deadly weapon inflicting serious injury and discharging a weapon into occupied property.
On November 28, a family had gathered for Thanksgiving at their home on Parker Road. Around 4:30pm, several adults and children were outside in the yard playing together.
An adult reported hearing a “whizzing” sound go past them. Moments later the young girl was shot in the leg. The child was rushed to the hospital for treatment of a serious but non-life threatening gunshot wound.
Johnston County deputies determined a house on Parker Road had also been struck by gunfire, but there were no additional injuries.
The shots that struck the child and house were reportedly fired by McDonald while he was target practicing with a rifle, at a home across a field and several hundred yards away.
McDonald reportedly told authorities he shot approximately 30 rounds but did not intend to harm anyone.
The charges were filed after the Johnston County Sheriff’s Office completed their investigation and presenting the findings to the Johnston County District Attorney’s Office.
McDonald was given an $80,000 secured bond at the Johnston County Detention Center.
That’s a excessive bond for a accidental shooting.
Some drug dealers don’t get that large of a bond…
.
For sure.
most drug dealers don’t sell to 7 year old kids either
Glad to see they arrested him could have killed someone . I am a gun owner and practice often on my property but also keep a eye out to see no one in li e of fire .
Watch yourself. You don’t know the real story. Stop acting like your ownership has anything to do with his.
This is a good man that this happened to. Truly an accident. I know he’s hurting and is sorry.
Out of ignorance, I sometimes shot without a proper backstop when I was 16 and had no internet access or real life mentors. There is absolutely no excuse for anyone in this day and age to not know and follow all gun safety rules. YouTube is flooded with channels that constantly hammer gun safety and show you how to properly handle a gun and shoot safely.
Overly high bail for an accidental shooting. People frequently target practice in the woods next to my house and as a mom with kids similar age and pets this is one of my biggest fears. But this man wasn’t intentionally trying to hurt anyone unless he has a criminal past that bail is excessive worse crimes have less bail.
I understand gun safety and he could have been more careful, but anybody who knows this man knows he would never do anything to harm anyone purposely.
3-4 others were shooting guns at a nearby location. The 3-4 other shooters location were within a quarter of a mile nearly adjacent to the little girls location while the supposed shooters address was half a mile away and had a tree line in between. Guess what the difference between the others and the supposed shooter is. Tragic situation no doubt but Eric is a great man and would never harm anyone. May God be with him through the hearings.