A South Carolina father shot his daughter dead as she entered the family’s house, officials said.
Bolt said the Violent Crimes Unit has opened an investigation into the case.
After shooting her the father went outside and discovered who it really was.
The county coroner’s office was slated to conduct an autopsy on May 20.
“I ... went out on the porch and I seen police everywhere, everywhere. That’s just a sad feeling,” she said.
Melvin Grover, a member of St. Luke Holiness Church, which sits near the house, commented on the death as well.
“It’s a sad day today, and it’s a tragic moment that happened in the neighborhood, and we are so heartbroken about it,” he said.
It wasn’t clear whether Pressley’s father, who has not been identified publicly, would face criminal charges in the shooting.
Expert Weighs In
Following the shooting, an expert said that people should take steps before using deadly force.Jim Braziel is a retired training sergeant and SWAT team leader for the sheriff’s office who currently works as the general manager of Sharpshooters Gun and Club Range.
Braziel said he teaches people during a course the company runs that gun owners should take certain steps before firing on suspected intruders.
The first step is figuring out what the person is doing; someone rattling or knocking on the door doesn’t warrant firing a gun while somebody using a sledgehammer on the door or otherwise trying to break it down might.
The next step would be getting eyes on the person.
“Cut a light on, take a flashlight [and] shine it in their face. That way you know for a fact that that person is not supposed to be there,” Braziel said.
If those two steps are taken, and an intruder is identified, warn them you’re armed and will shoot before calling 911.
Another expert, Robert Smith, said that there has to be a threat to justify shooting someone.
Smith teaches people about safely using firearms and has served as an expert witness in the trial of a man who shot a man who he said was stealing his truck.
“It’s not just enough to say, ‘I was in fear of my life.’ That’s a common misnomer, it gets BandAid-ed a lot and it won’t take you very far in a court of law,” Smith said. “Everything is always not what it appears. So until we have all the facts, which the police are investigating, it’s difficult to make any judgments.”