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Yadkin County mom wants sheriff's office to do more after death of 14-year-old son

'I wish I hadn't let him go that day'

Yadkin County mom wants sheriff's office to do more after death of 14-year-old son

'I wish I hadn't let him go that day'

NEWS. CARA, THANK YOU TONIGHT AND 12 INVESTIGATES A YADKIN COUNTY MOTHER SAYS SHE WANTS MORE FROM THE SHERIFF’S DEPARTMENT AFTER HER SON WAS SHOT TO DEATH IN SEPTEMBER. 14 YEAR OLD CHANNING O’NEAL DIED SEPTEMBER 28TH, TWO DAYS AFTER HIS MOTHER FOUND HIM SHOT AT A FRIEND’S HOME. DAVONTE MCKENITH SPOKE WITH CHANNING’S FAMILY, DEVONTE KENNY, CHRISTINE. HIS PARENTS SAY THEY WANT MORE CONCERN AND INVESTIGATION FROM THE YADKIN COUNTY SHERIFF’S OFFICE. THAT DREADFUL NIGHT STARTED WITH A PHONE CALL NO MOTHER SHOULD EVER RECEIVE OF. WE GOT A VIDEO CALL FROM HIS FRIEND WHOSE HOUSE HE WAS AT AND IT WAS CHANNING LYING ON THE FLOOR, BLEEDING WITH A GUNSHOT WOUND TO HIS HEAD. THE LAST MOMENTS OF CHANNING O’NEAL’S LIFE LEFT MORE QUESTIONS THAN ANSWERS, ESPECIALLY FOR MOM, WHO WAS AND STILL IS, QUITE FRANKLY, IN DISBELIEF. AT FIRST, I WAS LIKE, PLEASE STOP PLAYING WITH ME. YOU KNOW, DON’T. ARE Y’ALL PLAYING? WHAT’S REALLY GOING ON? AND HE WAS LIKE, NO, THIS IS REAL. THIS IS REAL. AND SO IMMEDIATELY JUMPED UP OUT OF BED, GOT INTO THE TRUCK AND CALLED 911. ON MY WAY OVER THERE. HOW OLD IS HE? HE’S 14. OH, MY GOD. MY BABY. WHEN CASEY GILLESPIE FINALLY GOT TO THE HOME ON DRIVERS LANE IN BOONVILLE, SHE FOUND HOPE WHEN SHE SAW HER SON BREATHING. OKAY. HE’S BREATHING. BUT SHE STILL HAD NO CLUE HOW. AND WHY CHANNING WAS SHOT IN THE HEAD. SHE SAYS NO ONE ELSE WAS AT THE HOME EXCEPT CHANNING AND HIS FRIEND. THAT’S BEFORE A DEPUTY ARRIVED AND STARTED ASKING QUESTIONS. THEY JUST KIND OF DISMISSED EVERYTHING AND HAD THEIR MIND MADE UP WHEN THEY ARRIVED TO THE SCENE. THE SHERIFF’S OFFICE WOULD EVENTUALLY LIST THIS CASE AS A SUICIDE. AN INCIDENT REPORT SAYS CHANNING’S INJURIES WERE SELF INFLICTED. MOM SAYS IT JUST DOESN’T ADD UP. WE DID NOT BELIEVE THAT. CHANNING, YOU KNOW, COULD DO SOMETHING LIKE THIS TO HIS SELF. IT DIDN’T FEEL RIGHT. CHANNING’S STEPFATHER FEELS THE SAME WAY BECAUSE NOW BIRTH DAY CELEBRATIONS WILL LOOK A BIT DIFFERENT IN YAY AND SNOW DAYS WILL BE MUCH QUIETER. DAD, DADDY, THEY WALKED INTO THAT SCENE AND NOTHING JUMPED OUT AND SMACKED THEM IN THE FACE AND SAID THIS WAS SOMETHING ELSE. SO THEY DIDN’T BOTHER LOOKING ANY DEEPER. LOOKING DEEPER FOR ANSWERS TO THEIR QUESTIONS. WHERE DID THE GUN COME FROM AND HOW DID IT GO OFF? BECAUSE WHAT HAPPENED INSIDE THAT HOME ON DRIVERS LANE WILL ALWAYS STEER MOM BACK TO THAT DREADFUL PHONE CALL. I WISH I HADN’T LET HIM GO THAT DAY. AND WE HAVE TRIED MULTIPLE TIMES TO GET ANSWERS AND PROTOCOL CLARIFICATION FROM THE YADKIN COUNTY SHERIFF’S OFFICE. THEY HAVE DECLINED MULTIPLE INTERVIEWS AND JUST THIS WEEK, THE DISTRICT ATTORNEY’S OFFICE TELLS US THEY JUST RECEIVED EVIDENCE IN THIS CASE AND ARE STILL DECIDING IF CHARGES WILL BE FILED. WE
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Yadkin County mom wants sheriff's office to do more after death of 14-year-old son

'I wish I hadn't let him go that day'

A Yadkin County mother says she wants more from the sheriff's department after her son was shot to death in September.Fourteen-year-old Channing O'Neal died Sept. 28. His mother found him shot at his friend's home two days before. Top Stories Five students jumped from back of moving school bus, 1 Parkland student died, Winston-Salem officials say Brawl escalates to shots fired, five people shot in Southmont, Davidson County deputies sayA Greensboro company is investigating a poisoning incident at a Winston-Salem bar. Here’s what we know.Get the latest news stories of interest by clicking hereChanning's parents say they want more concern and more investigation from the sheriff's office. Kacie Gillespie, O'Neal's mom, says that dreadful night started with a phone call no mother should ever receive. "We got a video call from his friend, whose house he was at, and it was Channing lying on the floor, bleeding, with a gunshot wound to his head," said Kacie. The last moments of Channing's life left more questions than answers — especially for Kacie."At first, (I was like), 'Please stop playing with me, don't. Are ya'll playing? What's going on?'" Kacie Gillespie recalled. "And he was like, 'No, this is real. This is real. This is real.'"Kacie said it was this moment when everything seemed to have happened fast."I immediately jumped out of bed, got into the truck and called 911 on my way over there," she said.When Kacie finally got to the home on Drivers Lane in Boonville, she found hope when she saw her son because he was still breathing. Unfortunately, though, she still had no clue how and why Channing was shot in the head. She says no one else was at the home except Channing and his friend. That's before a Yadkin County Sheriff's Office deputy arrived and started asking questions."They just kind of dismissed everything and had their minds made up when they arrived to the scene," Kacie said.The sheriff's office would eventually list this case as a suicide after Channing's passing. An incident report says Channing's injuries were self-inflicted. Mom says it just doesn't add up."We did not believe that Channing, you know, could do something like this to himself. It didn't feel right," Kacie said.Channing's stepfather feels the same way."They walked into that scene, and since nothing jumped out and smacked them in the face, they said, 'This was something else.' So, they didn't bother looking any deeper," said John Gillespie.John says he wants the sheriff's office to look deeper for answers to their questions including where did the gun come from and how did it go off? Until then, what happened inside that home on Drivers Lane will always steer Mom back to that dreadful phone call."I wish I hadn't let him go that day," said Kacie.Although the case has been marked closed with the Yadkin County Sheriff's Office, 12 Investigates tried multiple times to get answers and protocol clarification from the sheriff's office. They have declined interviews. This week, the District Attorney's office told 12 Investigates that they recently received evidence in the case and are still deciding if charges will be filed.This is a developing story. Check back for updates.Keep up with the latest news and weather by downloading the WXII app here.NAVIGATE: Home | Weather | Watch NOWCAST TV | Local News | National | News We Love |Trending Stories

A Yadkin County mother says she wants more from the sheriff's department after her son was shot to death in September.

Fourteen-year-old Channing O'Neal died Sept. 28. His mother found him shot at his friend's home two days before.

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Channing's parents say they want more concern and more investigation from the sheriff's office. Kacie Gillespie, O'Neal's mom, says that dreadful night started with a phone call no mother should ever receive.

"We got a video call from his friend, whose house he was at, and it was Channing lying on the floor, bleeding, with a gunshot wound to his head," said Kacie.

The last moments of Channing's life left more questions than answers — especially for Kacie.

"At first, (I was like), 'Please stop playing with me, don't. Are ya'll playing? What's going on?'" Kacie Gillespie recalled. "And he was like, 'No, this is real. This is real. This is real.'"

Kacie said it was this moment when everything seemed to have happened fast.

"I immediately jumped out of bed, got into the truck and called 911 on my way over there," she said.

When Kacie finally got to the home on Drivers Lane in Boonville, she found hope when she saw her son because he was still breathing. Unfortunately, though, she still had no clue how and why Channing was shot in the head. She says no one else was at the home except Channing and his friend. That's before a Yadkin County Sheriff's Office deputy arrived and started asking questions.

"They just kind of dismissed everything and had their minds made up when they arrived to the scene," Kacie said.

The sheriff's office would eventually list this case as a suicide after Channing's passing. An incident report says Channing's injuries were self-inflicted. Mom says it just doesn't add up.

"We did not believe that Channing, you know, could do something like this to himself. It didn't feel right," Kacie said.

Channing's stepfather feels the same way.

"They walked into that scene, and since nothing jumped out and smacked them in the face, they said, 'This was something else.' So, they didn't bother looking any deeper," said John Gillespie.

John says he wants the sheriff's office to look deeper for answers to their questions including where did the gun come from and how did it go off? Until then, what happened inside that home on Drivers Lane will always steer Mom back to that dreadful phone call.

"I wish I hadn't let him go that day," said Kacie.

Although the case has been marked closed with the Yadkin County Sheriff's Office, 12 Investigates tried multiple times to get answers and protocol clarification from the sheriff's office. They have declined interviews. This week, the District Attorney's office told 12 Investigates that they recently received evidence in the case and are still deciding if charges will be filed.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates.

Keep up with the latest news and weather by downloading the WXII app here.

NAVIGATE: Home | Weather | Watch NOWCAST TV | Local News | National | News We Love |

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