When emergency crews get to the scene on Darian Drive they found a 17-year-old boy dead, the victim off an accidental self-shooting.
ALBANY, GA. -- Eight o’clock Sunday night and dispatch received a call about shots fired in Lee County. When emergency crews get to the scene on Darian Drive they found a 17-year-old boy dead, the victim off an accidental self-shooting.
“He was walking across the yard to toward the house and apparently had the weapon out. For what reason we don't know,” said Lee County Sheriff Reggie Rachals. “He may have just been looking at it.”
Authorities said the victim is 17-year-old Chris Smith. He shot himself while playing over at his friend’s house.
The Pebble Creek neighborhood is normally peaceful and quiet. But that peace and quiet was interrupted Sunday night by that single gunshot.
Authorities said the young man was playing in the backyard with a handgun. That's when he fell over a leaf blower and as he was falling back he accidently brought the gun up to his chin and shot himself in the head.
“I guess instead of the gun pointing away from him, he fell backward with the gun coming up to him, and whenever he was tripping that's when his finger pulled the trigger,” said Rachals.
The people who live at the home did not want to go on camera but said Chris was good kid and had plans to join the Marines.
“He was 6-feet-tall about 190 pounds. Good size fella. If he would have joined the marines he probably would have been a good asset for this country,” said Rachals.
In a place where people take pride in their guns, Sheriff Rachals says more training needs to be done before people handle firearms.
“It just goes to show you we need to step up a little bit more on the training of these young people how to handle weapons a little bit more safely than the manner of which he was carrying it in,” said Rachals.
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