Crime & Courts

8-year-old girl accidentally shot through wall in southwest Charlotte apartment, CMPD says

Maj. Jonathan Thomas appears in a CMPD video where he says an 8-year-old girl was accidentally shot in the stomach in southwest Charlotte on Thursday afternoon.
Maj. Jonathan Thomas appears in a CMPD video where he says an 8-year-old girl was accidentally shot in the stomach in southwest Charlotte on Thursday afternoon. Screenshot of CMPD video

An 8-year-old girl was accidentally shot in the stomach in southwest Charlotte on Thursday afternoon, Charlotte-Mecklenburg police said.

Maj. Jonathan Thomas said in a video posted on X, formerly Twitter, that the shooting happened at 2 p.m. at a home on West Arrowood Road. The bullet was fired from inside of the apartment while other family members were inside, Thomas said.

CMPD spokesperson Michael Allinger said the bullet traveled through a wall and struck the girl in another room. He declined to say whether police know who the girl.

Allinger said the girl suffered serious, but non-life threatening injuries and is expected to survive.

“This is leaning towards an accidental weapons firing, but, unfortunately, it resulted in an injury to an 8-year-old,” Thomas said. “We’re just very happy that the child is not hurt more seriously, but this is an event that we take very seriously.”

Check back for updates to this story.

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Jeff A. Chamer
The Charlotte Observer
Jeff A. Chamer is a breaking news reporter for the Charlotte Observer. He’s lived a few places, but mainly in Michigan where he grew up. Before joining the Observer, Jeff covered K-12 and higher education at the Worcester Telegram & Gazette in Massachusetts.
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