North Carolina

Toddler shot in the head at North Carolina church

Published

10 months ago

October 17, 2023

Toddler shot in the head at North Carolina church

A pastor’s two-year-old son was shot in the head by his three-year-old brother who was wielding their father’s gun outside church on Sunday.

Toddler Daniel Vines was rushed to hospital in critical condition after the horror unfolded in the parking lot after an evening service at River Valley Baptist Church in Morganton, North Carolina.

Pastor Adam Vines told local news channel WCCB Charlotte that his three-year-old son—who was not named—found the gun in the side door of the family’s van, and said that the weapon was in a holster with the safety on. But the boy somehow managed to accidentally shoot his younger brother, he said. Updated news reports later suggested the child’s condition had improved after emergency surgery and he is now said to be stable.

The incident comes amid a spate of gun crime across the nation that has sparked a fierce debate about gun control, leaving politicians struggling to answer how to address the problem, and prompting multiple countries to issue warnings to their citizens considering traveling to the U.S.

The case is not the first time a toddler has shot themselves or others. An almost identical case saw a one-year-old girl shot and killed by her three-year-old sibling, who had managed to get hold of an unsecured gun at their home in California in July. A Michigan toddler was accidentally killed while playing with a gun in June. A three-year-old in Florida died after the boy found a gun in an unlocked toolbox at his home and accidentally shot himself in August last year.

File image of a handgun after a shooting in Berkeley, Missouri, in December 2014. Investigators in Morganton, North Carolina, are trying to work out how a three-year-old boy was able to get hold of gun and accidentally shot his two-year-old brother.
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Following the latest incident in North Carolina, Pastor Vines described the injuries his son sustained. News station WSAZ 3 quoted the dad describing the trajectory of the bullet, saying: “It did go in behind his ear, but it went across the corner on the lower side instead of going through the brain. His talking, communications, his moving ability, all of that part is still intact.”

Daniel Vines underwent surgery but is now in a stable condition in hospital, according to the news report.

Pastor Vines said he feels God’s presence during this tragedy and he asked for people to pray for both his sons, including the one who accidentally almost killed his brother. “He’s in shock for the most part,” he told WSAZ 3.

Deputies received the call about a gunshot wound at the church shortly before 8:30 p.m. Sunday, according to the Burke County Sheriff’s Office. The child was airlifted to Carolinas Medical Center in Charlotte for surgery and was initially listed as being in critical condition, the statement added.

Investigators are currently working on the case to determine exactly how the boy’s brother was able to access and fire the handgun, according to News 19.

Newsweek has reached out to the Burke County Sheriff’s Office by email seeking further information and comment.

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North Carolina

North Carolina Zoo celebrates its 50 anniversary

Published

3 hours ago

August 4, 2024

Press Room

North Carolina Zoo celebrates its 50 anniversary

ASHEBORO, N.C. (WTVD) — The North Carolina Zoo is celebrating 50 years.

Located in Asheboro, the zoo houses about 1,700 animals and over 250 species primarily from Africa and North America.

On social media, NC Zoo wrote Friday:

“Throughout our history, we’ve been home to a diverse array of remarkable animals, dedicated keepers, and passionate employees who work tirelessly behind the scenes. Join us in honoring this milestone by visiting the Zoo in 2024!”

The Zoo also mentioned the Zoo’s first animals, which were two Galapagos tortoises named Tort and Retort.

The post said in part: “These two tortoises symbolize the early days of the North Carolina Zoo and are cherished deeply in our hearts.”

The North Carolina Zoo is one of two state-supported zoos in the country. The other is the Minnesota Zoo.

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North Carolina

NC has some of the most dangerous roads in the US: See how Wilmington-area counties rank

Published

10 hours ago

August 4, 2024

Press Room

NC has some of the most dangerous roads in the US: See how Wilmington-area counties rank

With a recent study revealing North Carolina as one of the states with the riskiest roads to travel, some may wonder how safe the roads are here in the Cape Fear region.

MarketWatch Guides, a site that provides “reviews of consumer products and services to help readers make educated purchasing decisions,” focuses in part on car insurance comparisons, vehicle safety and more.

A recent study by the site analyzed factors including annual miles driven per 100,000 system miles, percentage of rough roads and fatal injuries per 100,000 licensed drivers. States were given a rating out of 10 points, with 10 being the most dangerous.

More: Distracted driving in Wilmington: How big of a problem is it?

North Carolina’s ranking among the most dangerous

According to the study, the states with the most dangerous drivers based on the factors studied are:

Louisiana – 7.55/10

California – 7.21/10

New Mexico – 6.74/10

Hawaii – 6.73/10

Delaware – 6.67/10

New Jersey – 6.53/10

Mississippi – 6.47/10

North Carolina – 6.39/10

Massachusetts – 6.33/10

Maryland and Texas – 6.26/10

According to the study, North Carolina had 32.5 fatal injuries per 100,000 licensed drivers, but only 2.1% of rough roads, which was the lowest percentage out of the other ranked states.

For a more localized perspective, the North Carolina Department of Transportation releases annual traffic crash facts data. The most recent 2022 report includes a ranking of counties based on several factors, including reported crashes, crash severity, crash rates based on population, registered vehicles and estimated vehicle miles traveled.

The most dangerous county for drivers, ranked at No. 1 for the past five years, was Robeson County. The county had 60 fatal crashes in 2022 with 1,136 non-fatal injury crashes. The rest of the total 4,056 crashes were property-damage-only. The county with the best ranking was Hyde County, coming in at No. 100. The county had one fatal crash in 2022 and 10 non-fatal injury crashes. The county had a total of 45 crashes, the rest of which were property damage only.

More: MyReporter: Which intersections see the most red-light camera violations in Wilmington?

Here’s where the Cape Fear region counties ranked.

Brunswick County

Ranked No. 76 in 2022, Brunswick County had 25 fatal crashes and 715 non-fatal injury crashes. The total crashes for that year were 3,146. The remainder of the crashes were property damage only.

New Hanover County

Ranked No. 58, New Hanover had 19 fatal crashes and 1,313 non-fatal injury crashes, both of which went down from 2021. The total crashes in New Hanover were 5,617. The remainder of the crashes were property damage only.

Pender County

Ranked No. 47, Pender County had the worst ranking despite having the lowest number of crashes. The county had 12 fatal crashes and 374 non-fatal injury crashes, and a total of 1,156 crashes. The rest of the crashes were property damage only.

Iris Seaton, USA Today Network, contributed to this report.

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North Carolina

Tropical Storm Debby expected to bring rainfall to Virginia & North Carolina

Published

17 hours ago

August 3, 2024

Press Room

Tropical Storm Debby expected to bring rainfall to Virginia & North Carolina

Tropical Storm Debby already has parts of Florida under tropical storm warnings. The Florida Big Bend is currently under a Hurricane Warning. Debby is forecast to briefly strengthen into a category 1 hurricane as it moves over the Gulf of Mexico where water temperatures are near 90 degrees.

As it continues its path over land it is expected to dial back to tropical storm strength as it reaches the Carolinas mid to late next week. Moderate rainfall is possible for northeast North Carolina and southern Virginia by the end of the week.

Higher amounts of rain are possible for southernmost portions of the Outer Banks but generally models show 2-4 inches for northeast North Carolina and 1-2 inches for southern Virginia through Thursday.

Stay with News 3’s First Warning Weather Team for the latest updates as the storm develops.

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