Boy's shooting death ruled an accident

12-year-old may have been playing with the gun, authorities say

 Authorities said Thursday that a 12-year-old Loudon County boy may have been playing with a .22-caliber gun when it discharged into his head and deemed his death an accident.

The death of Stone Phillips, who attended Lenoir City Middle School, emphasizes the need for gun safety, said Loudon County Sheriff's Office Investigator Chris White.

"I think we can safely say this was an accidental shooting," White said.

Authorities reached that conclusion upon the completion of an autopsy at the University of Tennessee Forensic Center.

"He could have been playing with it," White said. "The angle of the bullet makes us think it was an accident. It was not a contact wound."

Stone's mother found his prone body on the floor of his bedroom at 7:07 a.m. Tuesday. She had gone to his room to rouse him for school.

Although no one heard the shot from the revolver, White said evidence indicates that Stone suffered the wound just minutes before his mother found him. The gun was found under his body, which apparently slid from the bed onto the floor.

Stone's father already had left for work at the time, authorities said, leaving only Stone and his mother in the house just outside the Lenoir City limits.

Stone died at 11 a.m. Wednesday at the University of Tennessee Medical Center.

White said the revolver belonged to Stone's grandfather but that the boy was not supposed to have it in his room.

"Guns need to be locked up and the ammunition separate," White said.

Although Stone was familiar with guns because he had been hunting, White said the boy didn't have a solid comprehension of how dangerous firearms can be when not handled properly.

"We're talking about a 12-year-old here who just did not understand the consequences of playing with a loaded weapon," White said.

No charges are expected because of the shooting, he said.


12-year-old Loudon County boy dies of gunshot wound

By Don Jacobs knoxnews.com

Authorities said this morning a 12-year-old middle school student died about 11 a.m. from a bullet wound to his head.

Loudon County Sheriff's Office Lt. Detective Jeff Vittatoe confirmed that Stone Phillips died at the University of Tennessee Medical Center.

Stone was admitted to the UT Medical Center with a .22-caliber gunshot wound to the right side of his head on Tuesday, Loudon County Sheriff Tim Guider said..

.Guider said Stone's mother, Gretta Phillips, called E-911 shortly after 7 a.m. Tuesday to say "she had checked on her son and he was unconscious."

"She called back a second time and said there was blood around his head," the sheriff said.

Guider said it appears Stone was shot while sitting on the edge of his bed at his Highland Avenue residence.

"He was on the floor next to his bed when we arrived," Guider said.

Under Stone's prone body officers found the .22-caliber pistol, the sheriff said.

"Right now we're trying to determine if it is accidental or self-inflicted," Guider said.

Because most of the boy's family has gathered at the hospital, Guider said detectives have not been able to determine if Stone had been despondent or recently threatened to harm himself. There was no suicide note found in Stone's room.

Stone attended Lenoir City Middle School.

Guider said Stone's mother, Gretta Phillips, had yelled for her son to get out of bed for school and then she climbed back under the bed covers for warmth during the sub-freezing morning temperatures. When she went to his room, Phillips found her son on the floor and his breathing labored.

The boy's father already had left for his job in Vonore, Guider said.

The sheriff said Gretta Phillips didn't hear a gunshot before finding her son.

Questions remain about boy's death

By J.J. Stambaugh knoxnews.com

Authorities on Wednesday were still unsure whether a 12-year-old middle school student who apparently shot himself was the victim of an accident or suicide.

Stone Phillips, a Lenoir City Middle School student, died Wednesday morning at the University of Tennessee Medical Center. He was found shortly after 7 a.m. Tuesday by his mother, who called 911 to say that she'd found him unconscious in his bedroom.

Police believe he was shot while sitting on the edge of his bed at the Highland Avenue residence, and a .22-caliber revolver was found under his prone body.

"We've talked to teachers, to friends, and to family," said Investigator Chris White of the Loudon County Sheriff's Office. "We've been going back over the evidence that's been collected, just trying to come up with a 'why.' There's no doubt that he did it, there's no foul play. ... It's just a matter of why a 12-year-old boy would kill himself."

White said the handgun belonged to a family member but wasn't supposed to be allowed upstairs, where the boy's bedroom was. White also said that Phillips was familiar with firearms and had been on numerous hunting trips with a grandfather in Kentucky.

Phillips had given no indications that he was depressed or suicidal, according to White.

A ruling on the manner of Phillips' death won't be made until an autopsy is complete, he said.

There was no suicide note found in the boy's room, according to Sheriff Tim Guider.

"It's a tragic loss for the community, for the school, for the other kids to have to deal with, especially here with the holiday," said White.

 


12-year-old critical after shooting self in head

By Don Jacobs knoxnews.com

A 12-year-old middle school boy was in critical condition this afternoon after his mother found him in his bedroom suffering from a gunshot wound to the head.

Stone Phillips was admitted to the University of Tennessee Medical Center with a .22-caliber wound to the right side of his head, Loudon County Sheriff Tim Guider said today.

Guider said Stone's mother, Gretta Phillips, called E-911 shortly after 7 a.m. to say "she had checked on her son and he was unconscious."

"She called back a second time and said there was blood around his head," the sheriff said.

Guider said it appears Stone was shot while sitting on the edge of his bed at his residence on Highland Avenue.

"He was on the floor next to his bed when we arrived," Guider said.

Under Stone's prone body officers found the .22-caliber pistol, the sheriff said.

"Right now we're trying to determine if it is accidental or self-inflicted," Guider said.

Because most of the boy's family has gathered at the hospital, Guider said detectives have not been able to determine if Stone had been despondent or recently threatened to harm himself. There was no suicide note found in Stone's room.

Stone attended Lenoir City Middle School.

Guider said Stone's mother, Gretta Phillips, had yelled for her son to get out of bed for school and then she climbed back under the bed covers for warmth during the sub-freezing morning temperatures. When she went to his room, Gretta Phillips found her son on the floor and his breathing labored.

The boy's father already had left for his job in Vonore, Guider said.

The sheriff said Gretta Phillips didn't hear a gunshot before finding her son.


Loudon County boy, 12, shot in head; sheriff investigating

By Don Jacobs knoxnews.com

Loudon County authorities this morning are investigating the shooting of a 12-year-old boy who has been rushed by ambulance to the University of Tennessee Medical Center.

The head wound to the boy could be life-threatening, said Bryant Howard, operations manager with Rural/Metro ambulance in Loudon County.

Howard said authorities responded about 7:15 a.m. to a residence on Highland Avenue where the boy was found.

The Loudon County Sheriff's Office is investigating the shooting.
 


Lenoir City, Loudon County (WVLT) -Loudon County Sheriff's deputies are on the scene of a shooting that involved a 12-year-old boy.

Deputies say the incident happened just after 7:00 this morning at a home on Highland Avenue.

Loudon County Assistant Chief Deputy James Davis says the boy is suffering from a gunshot wound to his head.

Davis would not comment on how the shooting occured.

Davis does say the boy is in critical condition at UT Medical Center.

He says his deputies are on the way to the hospital at this hour.

We are continuing to speak with authorities and will continue to update the story as more information becomes available.

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