Boy and his dog were gunned down, NC sheriff says. ‘There is a monster among us’

A 16-year-old boy and his dog were killed early Saturday at a rural home in Forsyth County, North Carolina, and the shooter remains at large, according to investigators.

It happened just before 6 a.m. in Walkertown, about an 85-mile drive northeast from uptown Charlotte.

“Deputies were dispatched to a residence in the 4700 block of New Walkertown Road (U.S. 311) to assist agency EMS. Upon arrival, they discovered one person and a canine suffering from gunshot wound,” the sheriff’s office said in a May 1 news release.

“The 16-year-old juvenile and his pet canine ... were pronounced deceased at the scene.”

The boy’s identity and details of a motive have not been released.

Investigators have called the shooting an “example of senseless juvenile violence,” and issued a plea for tips to help find a suspect.

“There are times in my life when I have questioned the moral compass of society and this is truly another one of those times,” Forsyth County Sheriff Bobby F. Kimbrough, Jr. said in the release.

“When a 16-year-old child and his pet can be gunned down in the quiet of the morning hours, it causes me to question our sense of morality and brings true anguish. Make no mistake about it, there is a monster among us, and the FCSO will use all available resources to ensure this monster is captured.”

This story was originally published May 3, 2026 at 5:37 AM with the headline "Boy and his dog were gunned down, NC sheriff says. ‘There is a monster among us’."