He was shot dead by his girlfriend’s mother — hours after being released from jail
A Burke County man was shot and killed by his girlfriend’s mother Thursday morning, just hours after being released from jail, according to multiple reports.
Deputies were called to 46-year-old Vernon Dale’s mobile home in Morganton around 1 a.m., where he had been shot in the head. He died at the scene, according to the Burke County Sheriff’s Office.
His girlfriend’s mother admitted to shooting him, according to multiple media reports. However, she claims to have acted in self-defense, officials with the sheriff’s office said.
The shooting happened after Dale was released from jail on assault charges, according to the Morganton News Herald. Officials had obtained warrants for Dale’s arrest in late October, alleging he threatened someone with a gun, the newspaper reported. He was charged Wednesday and released after posting bail.
At the time of the shooting, officials said there were two other adults and two children in the home. None of the people in the home were identified by police, and no arrests have been made.
LaVendrick Smith: @LaVendrickS
This story was originally published December 21, 2017 at 4:26 PM with the headline "He was shot dead by his girlfriend’s mother — hours after being released from jail."