Homeowner Says He Shot Renisha McBride in the Face By Accident
A Dearborn Heights, Michigan, homeowner told police that he shot Renisha McBride in the head when his shotgun discharged accidentally early Saturday morning. McBride was presumably looking for help following a car accident, but the man says he took her for an intruder and mistakenly shot her in the face.
The Detroit Free Press spoke with police Lt. James Serwatowski, who said, "This man's claiming—believed the girl was breaking into the home. And he's also saying the gun discharged accidentally." Serwatowski added that McBride was not shot in the back of the head, as her family has been claiming. "I don't know where the family is getting this," he said. "She was shot in the front of the face, near the mouth."
Police confirmed that McBride was in an accident and said that "some hours transpired" before the shooting, though they have yet to publicly describe what happened in the interim between those two events.
The Wayne County prosecutor's office today said it is awaiting further police investigation before deciding if it will press charges against the homeowner.