Tuesday, the Vance County Sheriff's Office (VCSO) announced the father of the child has been charged with second-degree murder in connection to his child's death by a gunshot.
The investigation started after deputies were dispatched to Hoyle Lane on Dec. 3 for a call about a person who had been shot. Deputies learned the victim was a 6-year-old who later died at the hospital as a result of being shot.
The child's father, Eric Eugene Allen Rowe, was arrested and charged with felony child abuse on Dec. 8. Rowe was given a $90,000 secured bond for the charge and was bonded out a short time later.
On Dec. 9, Rowe surrendered to officers on the murder charge and was placed in the Vance County Jail under a $200,000 bond, the sheriff's office said in a news release.
The investigation is still ongoing and anyone with information is being asked to contact the Vance County Sheriff's Office at (252) 738-2200.
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