A quiet early-morning in rural Walkertown turned into a crime scene on Saturday when a 16-year-old boy and his dog were found shot to death outside a home in Forsyth County. Deputies rushed to the property after a 911 call just before sunrise and pronounced both the teenager and the pet dead at the scene. The shooter is still on the loose, and investigators are now asking anyone who knows anything to speak up.
The Forsyth County Sheriff’s Office said deputies were dispatched to the 4700 block of New Walkertown Road following a 5:55 a.m. call and arrived to find “one person and a canine suffering from gunshot wound,” according to The Charlotte Observer. Sheriff Bobby F. Kimbrough Jr. condemned the killing as an “example of senseless juvenile violence” and warned in a news release, “Make no mistake about it, there is a monster among us.”
WXII 12 reports that both the teen and his dog were found just before 6 a.m. and were pronounced dead at the scene. Authorities have not released the victim’s name or any information on a possible motive. The case remains an active homicide investigation, with deputies working through the weekend to track down leads, the station notes.
County’s Recent Youth Gun Violence
The killing lands in the middle of a grim stretch for Forsyth County and Winston-Salem, where officials are already sounding alarms about youth gun violence. Less than two weeks before the Walkertown shooting, a fight that turned violent at Leinbach Park left two teenagers dead and several others hurt. In the aftermath of that incident, officials warned about the mounting toll of firearms on young people, saying “Firearms are the number one killer of kids,” in remarks reported by WFDD.
What Investigators Say
Investigators have described the Walkertown killing as senseless and say they are canvassing the area, interviewing neighbors, and following multiple leads, according to The Charlotte Observer. The sheriff’s office has not released any suspect information and has pledged to use every available resource to track down whoever is responsible.
How To Help
Detectives say community tips could be crucial in solving this case. Anyone with information is urged to call the Forsyth County Sheriff’s Office tip line at 336-727-2112. Even small details could help point investigators toward the person responsible, local authorities said. The sheriff’s office has not released additional information about a motive or suspect, and the homicide investigation remains ongoing, WXII 12 reports.
