ASHEBORO, N.C. - A teenager accidentally shot himself in the neck as he scrambled to exit a home he was burglarizing after the homeowner surprised him Wednesday night, police said.
The homeowner, who did not wish to be identified, said he arrived back at his house around 8:30 p.m. Wednesday and found two teenagers inside. One pointed a gun at him.
"When I went inside, there were two guys -- one in my bedroom, the other one in the living room -- and the one in the living room pointed a gun at me," he recalled Thursday.
Investigators said one of the teens, a 16-year-old who was not identified, shot himself as he climbed out of a window. He made it to the end of the driveway before collapsing.
"He admitted that he tried to break in to the house, and when he tried to turn to go back out a window, he had a gun in his hand, and when he went to go out the window, he shot himself in the neck," said Asheboro police Capt. Jody Williams.
The teenager was taken to Randolph Hospital before being airlifted to Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center.
Police are still looking for the second burglar.
The victim said he feels emotionally scarred over the incident and plans to move his family out of the house right away.
"I heard them say, 'Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa,' and I run out of there screaming, 'Don't hurt me. Don't hurt my kids.' Then I heard a shot," he said. "I'm just lucky. I guess it wasn't my time."
