James Moshier charged after shooting 15-year-old who was ringing doorbells and running away with friends
LAUREL, N.Y. -- A young teen attending a sleepover never thought a game of "ring the doorbell and run" would land him in the hospital.
The birthday party ended in near disaster when a homeowner grabbed a shotgun and started firing, CBS2's Jennifer McLogan reported Friday.
On beautiful Peconic Bay in the heart of the North Fork, a group of seven young teens gathered in the hamlet of Laurel for a birthday party sleepover.
Amid trampolines and backyard fun, several scattered for a "do or dare" at a random house nearby: ring the doorbell and run.
"We had several kids that were running around the neighborhood knocking on doors and running away and one of the residents felt that somebody was trying to get into the house, felt threatened, felt frightened, and woke up the male occupant of the house, who went to the back door and discharged a shotgun," Southold Town Police Captain James Ginas said.
It happened at around 9 p.m. on Thursday.
Friday, the shotgun holes were clearly visible at the door of 64-year-old James Moshier, who fired the shotgun at the boys, striking a 15-year-old, apparently believing they were intruders, not pranksters.
CBS2 spoke with Moshier after he posted $20,000 cash bail.
"What can you say, sir?" McLogan asked.
"Nothing," Moshier said.
The 15-year-old was at first unaware that he had been shot in the upper right arm. The wound was so serious that the child had to be airlifted to the hospital. The boy remains under observation, but is expected to make a full recovery.
Neighbors in this bucolic community are grateful it wasn't much worse.
"I got a message there saying there was a shooting around here. Right away, I got scared," one person said.
"There's probably a lot to uncover and to know here. I think we just feel for everybody involved," another person said.
Moshier was charged with assault, recklessly injuring a child under 18 by discharge of a firearm, according to the felony complaint. He's due back in Southold Town Justice Court on April 27.
The parents of the teen who hosted the party told CBS2 they have no comment at this point.
