14-year-old boy shot man mowing the lawn in rural North Carolina, sheriff says

A man cutting the grass was hit by gunfire early Monday, and the suspect is a 14-year-old who lives nearby, according to investigators in eastern North Carolina.

It happened around 9:30 a.m. in the 1800 block of Piney Neck Road near Vanceboro, and detectives suspect the shooting may have been accidental.

“The victim was mowing his lawn when an unidentified shooter fired at him,” the Craven County Sheriff’s Office said in a July 13 news release.

“Following an investigation by the Criminal Investigation Bureau, a 14-year-old male residing in the area was identified as the perpetrator.”

The man was taken to ECU Health Medical Center in Greenville, and his condition “is unavailable,” the sheriff’s office said.

A secure custody order was issued for the boy, charging him with felony assault with a deadly weapon with intent to kill, officials said.

“He was subsequently transported to a juvenile detention facility to be held,” the sheriff’s office said.

Maps show the shooting happened in a block that is largely agricultural, with fewer than a half dozen homes.

Vanceboro is about a 110-mile drive southeast from downtown Raleigh.

This story was originally published July 13, 2026 at 2:53 PM with the headline "14-year-old boy shot man mowing the lawn in rural North Carolina, sheriff says."