ROCKINGHAM — A man is facing charges after two children were reportedly shot and injured on Independence Day.
According to the Richmond County Sheriff’s Office, four children were in the living room of a home on Old Cheraw Highway July 4 while their grandmother and two other adults were “in the process of cooking a meal.”
The children reportedly found a loaded gun and one of them discharged it, injuring a 3-year-old and 5-year-old.
The sheriff’s office said the 5-year-old, a female, sustained life-threatening injuries and was flown to a trauma center after being stabilized by emergency room staff at FirstHealth Moore Regional Hospital-Richmond. The younger child, a male, reportedly had a non-life-threatening injury.
Investigators charged 22-year-old Ezekiel Nicre Tillman with two counts of felony child abuse by wilful act or omission showing reckless disregard and causing serious bodily or emotional injuries and a misdemeanor count of unlawful storage of a firearm to protect a minor.
He is being held without bond in the Richmond County Jail.
The RO could not find the case in online court documents at the time of writing so his court date is currently unknown.
Tillman appears to have no prior convictions in North Carolina.
All defendants facing criminal charges are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
"We urge the community to remain vigilant and prioritize safety to prevent such incidents," Sheriff Mark B. Gulledge said in a press release.
