A Fourth of July evening near Rockingham turned violent when a group of children found a loaded gun inside a home and it went off, investigators say. A 3‑year‑old boy and a 5‑year‑old girl were shot. The girl suffered life‑threatening injuries and was flown to a trauma center after being stabilized, while the boy’s wound was described as non‑life‑threatening. A Rockingham man has been arrested in connection with the case and faces child‑abuse and unlawful‑storage charges.
What investigators say
According to The Charlotte Observer, the shooting happened around 6 p.m. on the Fourth of July at a home near Rockingham. The sheriff’s release, as reported by the paper, says adults were cooking while four children were in the living room when they discovered a loaded firearm. One of the children discharged the gun, striking the 3‑year‑old boy and the 5‑year‑old girl. Emergency crews took both children to local hospitals, and the girl was later flown to a trauma center after she was stabilized.
“The children were in the care of their grandmother and two adult males at the time of the incident,” the sheriff’s release said, per The Charlotte Observer. Investigators say their work led to the arrest of 22‑year‑old Ezekiel Nicre Tillman of Rockingham. He was charged with two felony counts of child abuse showing reckless disregard and one misdemeanor count of unlawful storage of a firearm to protect a minor, according to the release.
Charges and state law on firearm storage
The unlawful‑storage count tracks North Carolina’s child‑access law, which makes it a crime to store or leave a firearm in a condition and location that allows a minor to gain access and that results in injury. Under certain circumstances, that conduct can be charged as a Class 1 misdemeanor. See N.C. Gen. Stat. § 14‑315.1, available via Justia, for the statute authorities cited in the charges.
A statewide pattern
The shooting comes amid a sharp rise in child firearm injuries across North Carolina. A Child Fatality Task Force document notes that “two children a week die from firearm injury in North Carolina” and that the state has seen large increases in child firearm deaths in recent years. The Child Fatality Task Force document and state public‑health data point to safe‑storage gaps that officials say contribute to these tragedies.
Public‑health context: why storage matters
National data show that most unintentional firearm injuries to children happen at home when kids find unsecured guns, often while “playing with or showing the firearm,” and that the firearms in these incidents are frequently stored loaded and unlocked, according to the CDC. CDC analysis underscores that storing firearms locked, unloaded, and separate from ammunition reduces risk. Gun‑safety groups say child‑access and safe‑storage laws and programs can improve outcomes, and Giffords Law Center summarizes research on safe storage and child access prevention.
Richmond County investigators say the case remains under active investigation and are asking anyone with information to contact the sheriff’s office. The Richmond County Sheriff’s Office posts contact details for tips, and court filings and upcoming hearings will show how prosecutors proceed on the charges.
