Sterling, VA – A teen was shot while sneaking into the wrong home after a night of partying and drinking . The neighbor fatally shot the teen when the two met on the stairs inside the house.
This past Saturday, 16-year-old Caleb Gordley wanted to go partying but was grounded because he had not cleaned his room. Caleb snuck away from home and returned with his friends around 2 am. The teen did not realize he was sneaking into the wrong home nor did his friends, who helped hoist Caleb in through a back window. Caleb had been living in the neighborhood for less than a year, and many of the homes looked very similar.
The teen’s illegal entry sounded the burglar alarm, causing the neighbor to grab a gun before investigating. The teen was shot in the wrong home after the homeowner fired a warning shot.
Caleb’s father, Shawn Gordley, provided an account of his son’s final night:
“They have the exact same staircase as us, the exact same carpet. Caleb clearly thought he was in his own house. He probably stumbled around and was just trying to go to his room.”
The neighbor, Donald West Wilder II, is known as “a good neighbor who has lived in the home for about nine years and has been a Sterling volunteer firefighter for nearly two decades.” Both parents of Caleb Gordley say they forgive the neighbor who shot their teenage son and do not blame that individual for what happened. Police say the investigation is ongoing but no charges have been filed.
What do you think about the teen who was shot sneaking into the wrong home ?
