RUTHERFORD COUNTY, North Carolina — A teen who shot and killed her mother's boyfriend will not be charged, authorities said.
The Rutherford County Sheriff’s Office and the District Attorney’s Office said on Aug. 8, Chandra Nierman's 15-year-old daughter shot the 46-year-old male as he was attacking Nierman.
Her other children, a 12-year-old son, and a 16-year-old daughter were there when the violence occurred. Sheriff's deputies said the man was threatening to "cut Nierman’s throat and kill everyone in the house."
A release from authorities said:
"Nierman’s twelve-year-old son retrieved a firearm and Nierman’s fifteen-year-old daughter took the gun from her brother and fired it twice, striking the deceased male in the chest. One of the fired rounds fragmented, grazing Nierman’s sixteen-year-old daughter in the leg."
The 16-year-old was taken to a hospital and was released.
"Nierman suffered significant bruises and contusions from the assault," the release said.
The investigation also revealed the deceased man had threatened Nierman several times previously, and four days before, he had assaulted Nierman and fired multiple rounds from a firearm inside the residence to threaten and terrorize her.
"The investigation further revealed that the deceased male, who had multiple firearms in the house and frequently carried one on his person, was a convicted felon and had two active domestic violence protection orders against him from two different women in Indiana and Ohio, although no domestic violence or assaults had been reported to law enforcement locally prior to the fatal shooting," the release said. "The deceased male has been positively identified as Steven Kelley, originally from Indiana."
Based on the facts and the evidence, "it is the conclusion of the District Attorney’s Office that the shooting was justified and no charges will be filed," the release states.
