Tarboro girl shot in leg by 15-year-old, police say

Tarboro police said a 15-year-old girl's mishandling of a gun led to another girl being shot in the leg.

Police found a girl with a gunshot wound to the leg on Monday afternoon at Pender Square Apartments. According to the Tarboro Police Department, the girl who was shot was under 18.

Police said the victim and another girl were inside a vehicle at the time the shots were fired. The investigation indicates that the firearm was mishandled, and the gun was accidentally discharged.

The girl who was shot was taken to ECU Health Medical Center in Greenville and is being treated for a non-life-threatening injury.

The girls will be charged on a juvenile petition for possession of a handgun by a minor.

Neighbors still have questions about how the teenagers had access to that gun.

Angela Hobgood has lived near the Pender Square Apartments for more than 50 years.

“It’s scary," she said. “You can’t have something in your house that dangerous and have children coming in and out. I think the parents ought to be held responsible if that’s where [the gun] came from.”

Tarboro police said they believe the shooting was accidental, but both teenagers will be charged with possession of a handgun for a minor.

Police said they are still investigating but encourage firearm owners to make sure children can't access them.