Tragedy struck the eastern reaches of Guilford County on Wednesday when the young child of an Elon municipal police officer was shot to death in what appears to have been an unspeakable accident.
According to the office of Guilford County’s sheriff, this fatal shooting occurred shortly before 7:35 a.m. in a home along the 700 block of Nellie Gray Place that lies outside the municipal limits of Whitsett.
The sheriff’s office identifies the victim in this shooting as the child of Orlando Maynard, a member of Elon’s municipal police force, who was, according to the office of Guilford County’s sheriff, not home at the time. According to the sheriff’s office, the child was rushed to a local hospital for treatment and was later pronounced dead. The sheriff’s office said an investigation is ongoing.
The Alamance News has learned that the young victim in this case was just three years old when the shooting occurred. Discussion at the scene centered on the possibility that the fatal shot may have come from the father’s service weapon, whose safety may have been off at the time.
In the wake of the shooting, neighbors reportedly heard the child’s bereaved mother wail imploringly why it was that the gun’s safety hadn’t been on.
An annual report that Elon’s police department issued in March describes Maynard as one of agency’s newest additions.
According to the report, Maynard joined the police force in December of 2020 after a six-year stint in the U.S. Army. The report adds that the soldier-turned-police officer was expected to complete field training this spring.
