A 2-year-old child is in stable condition, after accidentally being shot in the head at a church in Morganton, N.C.
Emergency services responded to call regarding a gunshot wound just before 8:30 p.m. on Sunday, the Burke County Sheriff’s Office announced in a statement on Facebook. When they arrived on the scene, the son of Adam Vines, pastor of River Valley Baptist Church in Morganton, had been shot in the head.
The toddler was airlifted to a hospital in Charlotte with life-threatening injuries, where he underwent surgery.
Yesterday morning, the authorities reported the toddler was in critical condition. He has since stabilized, according to reports from WLOX.
“He is stable,” Vines said in an interview with WSOC-TV. “Trusting in the Lord. God has him in his hand. God has a perfect plan. It was an accident.”
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Vines said it was his son who was unintentionally shot, and that it was with his gun. His other son, who is three years old, found the gun in the rear of his van and accidentally fired it.
The pastor reported that the bullet did not hit the boy’s brain, and he is still able to talk and move.
“It did go in behind his ear, but it went across the corner on the lower side, instead of going through the brain,” Vines said to WLOX. “His talking, communications, his moving ability, all of that part is still intact.”
Vines is asking for prayer for both of his sons, including the one who he says accidentally fired that shot.
“He is, he’s in shock for the most part. I have not had a chance to talk with him much today,” the pastor said.
The shooting happened after service let out at the church, with witnesses reporting that they heard a single shot fired inside a car in the parking lot.
Since the tragedy, members of the church report they have been praying constantly.
Kevin Barlow, who attends River Valley Baptist Church and lives next door, said he could hear people screaming after the shooting. He and his wife stayed up most of the night praying for the Vines.
“My hearts go out to them,” Barlow said to WSOC-TV. “We will help in any way we can, and God is the help that you need.”
Teresa Jordan said she was home when the shooting happened. She saw church members gather around the little boy in the parking lot afterward the shooting.
“I feel for the family. It just breaks my heart,” she said to WSOC-TV. “It shows you how quick your life can change.”
Officials are working to determine who exactly fired the gun and how they were able to access to it. On Monday, the sheriff said deputies have seized the handgun, and they plan on meeting with the district attorney to let him decide on charges, according to WSOC-TV.
The Burke County Sheriff’s Office said it will release more information as it becomes available.
Freelance journalist Liz Lykins writes for WORLD Magazine, Christianity Today, Ministry Watch, and other publications.
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11 Responses
A lot missing from this article that raises many questions to which I pray answers will come upon a thorough investigation. Something just does not sit well with me with this story. My heart goes out to the two boys.
There is no such thing as an accidental discharge. There IS such thing as a negligence. Saying that “god has a perfect plan” after his 2 children are involved in a negligent discharge of HIS weapon says more about him than the children, the weapon, or his occupation. Being a pastor has no bearing on this: I’m interested to see what legal action is taken.
In other western countries, leaving a loaded firearm in a place where young children would almost certainly be cause for criminal negligence charges to be filed, but that’s not going to happen here, in the land where nothing can be allowed to get in the way of the gun culture.
The U.S. has by far the highest child and teen firearm mortality rate among similarly large and wealthy OECD nations – 10 times that of Canada, in second place and 30 times the average. For every death of a child caused by a firearm in the UK, 120 American children die the same way, every one of them a tragedy.
I agree! In our province in Canada, this has so rarely happened, I, as a 63 year old, cannot remember when it last occurred. This is absolute negligence and I pray for God’s healing and care for this little guy!
Why does one have a loaded gun in the back of the vehicle?
At church?
Understand that those statistics are based on “children” being persons 19 or under. Many teens are in gangs and so a bulk of this data includes gang violence. Although it is sad that even one child dies, it is irresponsible to paint a picture that we have a bunch of children innocently finding unsecured and loaded guns every day. To give a little perspective, there are approximately the same number of children dying in car accidents.
Agreed. I was going pass this by until I saw the “… Perfect plan.. ” Spiritual Bypass nonsense.
A sickening example of using a spiritual language to avoid the reality that he left a loaded gun accessible to a toddler.
The headline made me read to learn about the shooting of the son of a 2~year~old pastor. Careful where you put your words. Sentence structure matters.
This kind of thing is bound to happen in a gun saturated society.
Keep your damned guns LOCKED UP.
During our Detentions Deputy academy and in all subsequent annual training, we were continually warned about “negligent discharge of a weapon” and the consequences of not storing our weapons safely. All owners of weapons need to be hammered with that message. How was it God’s plan for the owner of a weapon to be negligent? One more person who should never own a gun again.
Good grief. Loaded gun left in the family van where a child could easily access it!!! Accident?! God has a plan – and it it a gun accident involving a two-year-old victim and a three-year-old shooter? Can this parent (pastor) be charged with negligence? Everything about this screams irresponsible. Ugh, ugh, ugh.