A “lucky” 13-year-old in South Carolina was accidentally shot and killed by his best friend while squirrel hunting, his mother said in a heartbreaking post: “Heaven got an angel.”
Cameron Connor, an eighth-grader at Dorchester Academy, and his friends were hunting Sunday on private land near Santee, about 105 miles northwest of Charleston, when the tragedy occurred, officials said. .
The state Department of Natural Resources has released few details about what happened, but Said in X's post “Two friends were squirrel hunting on private property when one shot and killed the other,” he said, calling the incident a “hunting accident.”
“This is an ongoing investigation and we will update you as soon as possible,” officials said. Said. “Our thoughts are with the boy's family and loved ones.”
Cameron's grieving mother thanked the community for the outpouring of support.
“As a parent, this is one of the most difficult tragedies to deal with and process. Hold your children tight and tell them you love them,” said Peggy Wagers Connor, a resident of Harleyville. To tell. wrote on Facebook.
“Please pray for me, Bryson, Marshall, Kelly, Finley and our family as we grieve the loss of our beloved Cameron. Please pray for his best friend and his family,” she wrote. .
“Last night Heaven acquired an angel. His presence touched many lives. …Son, I miss you every day, and until we meet again, I will be with you with all my heart and soul. I love you with all my heart,” the mother told USA Today, where her sons hunted ducks.
Cameron pitched on the private school's baseball team and played tight end on the football team, she told USA Today, adding that his best friend also played on the team.
“He preferred fishing to sleeping. He had a great impact not only on the school, but on our community,” Wagers-Connor told the magazine. “He had the ability to make anyone laugh with great fishing and hunting stories, which he loved to share.”
she told the Times and the Democratic Party The family joked that if they put a fishing hook in the water, they would catch a fish.
“He danced to the beat of his own drum. Always happy and smiling,” his mother told the outlet.
“He was very personable and loved life. He never met a stranger. He was friendly and kind-hearted and loved his family. He was a really good kid overall. . He would do anything for anyone,” she added.
The tragic teen's father, Marshall Connor of Dorchester, told USA Today that his son always had a positive attitude.
“He loved the outside world, was sociable, kind and generous,” he said, asking for prayers for Cameron's friends and family.
“We are also asking people to wrap themselves in love,” he said Tuesday.
Parents emphasized the importance of teaching children about gun safety.
“We were keen to teach Cam the importance of having safeties activated at all times and how dangerous firearms can be if mishandled,” his mother told USA Today.
In addition to his parents, Cameron is survived by his brother Bryson, 17, his half-brother Finley, 5, and his stepmother Kelly Connor.
“My son was just an angel walking this earth,” Wagers-Connor said. “Right now he is an angel watching over us.”
Funeral plans have not yet been decided.
