Roughly a month after a 3-year-old accidentally shot his 2-year-old brother in the parking lot of their church, pastor Adam Vines, the boys’ father, has been charged with a misdemeanor weapons offense.
The incident took place on the night of Sunday, Oct. 15, shortly after the conclusion of the evening service at River Valley Baptist Church in Morganton, North Carolina, where Vines serves as pastor.
Witnesses described hearing a single shot fired inside a vehicle in the parking lot. That vehicle was Vines’ van, where one of his toddler sons happened upon Vines’ firearm and accidentally shot his younger brother in the back of the head.
Vines said at the time that the bullet did not hit the toddler’s brain. The child, whose name is Daniel, was airlifted to Carolinas Medical Center in Charlotte, where he underwent surgery. He was later transferred to Levine Children’s Hospital, where he received physical therapy.
At the time of the shooting, Vines requested prayer for both of his sons, describing the toddler who accidentally fired the shot as “in shock for the most part.”
After weeks of recovery, Daniel was sent home and was back in church on Sunday, Nov. 26, according to WSOC-TV.
As members of the community celebrate the boy’s recovery, the Burke County Sheriff’s Office believes there should be consequences for Vines’ alleged negligence with regard to his firearm.
In a press release, the Sheriff’s Office said that Vines has been served a criminal summons for “Failure to Store a firearm to Protect Minors.” The summons alleged that Vines should have known that a minor would be able to access the firearm.
If convicted, Vines, 29, could face 45 days of “community punishment,” per state law.
As for the charge, Vines appears to be taking it in stride.
