Dinwiddie teen critical after 'accidental' shooting at hotel on the Outer Banks of N.C.

A Dinwiddie County teen was shot in the head Thursday morning at a hotel on the Outer Banks of North Carolina where she was staying with a group of friends, according to Nags Head Police.

Two men are in police custody after the shooting, which authorities report as accidental. Both men are from Chesterfield County and were part of the victim's entourage.

A release from the Nags Head Police Department said the 17-year-old girl was shot around 2 a.m. at the Surf Side Hotel, located at 6701 S. Virginia Dare Trail. The unidentified victim was rushed to the Outer Banks Hospital in Nags Head and then airlifted to a hospital in Virginia.

At last report, she was still in critical condition at the hospital.

Police said the shooting was an isolated incident and happened while a group of friends was staying at the hotel. Someone in the group was playing around with the weapon when it fired, striking the victim in the head.

That person, Ashton Mills, 22, of Midlothian, has been charged with assault with a deadly weapon, inflicting serious injury and felony obstruction of justice. He is being held at the Dare County Detention Center in Manteo on a $230,000 unsecured bond, according to the police statement.

A second man, 23-year-old Joshua Smith, also of Midlothian, has been charged with improper storage of a firearm to protect minors. He was released on a $2,500 secured bond.

“Nags Head’s Police Department is conducting a thorough investigation to determine the circumstances surrounding the events leading up to this tragic incident,” the statement said. “Further charges may be forthcoming.”

This is a developing story. Stay with progress-index.com for details as they become available.

This article originally appeared on The Progress-Index: Dinwiddie teen critical after 'accidental' shooting at Outer Banks hotel