Gordley

Loudoun County police are still deciding whether or not to charge a homeowner in Sterling for the fatal shooting of a teenager who mistakenly entered his home early Sunday morning, reports the Post.

Sixteen-year-old Caleb Gordley snuck into Donald West Wilder’s home—which looked the same as his own—after being out drinking with friends. After Wilder heard his burglar alarm go off, he fired a warning shot at Gordley and then fired the shot that killed the teenager. According to the Post, police and prosecutors are reviewing all the details of the case before deciding whether to press charges or close the investigation.

Under common law in Virginia, homeowners are generally protected against prosecution if they shoot an intruder in their home. Last year the Virginia legislature rejected a bill that would have codified what’s known as the Castle Doctrine; gun rights groups argued that the proposed law would have required an intruder to make an “overt act” to threaten a homeowner, a standard above what’s currently in common law.

NBC4 reports that Gordley’s parents said at a press conference yesterday that they don’t blame Wilder for the incident. “I want you to know sir, I forgive you. I understand this was an accident,” said Jennea Gordley, Caleb’s mother. As for Gordley’s classmates at Park View High School, the Post writes that teammates plan on honoring him by writing his initials on their helmets.