Detectives say Gus Studivant, 49, and his girlfriend, the infant's grandmother, were drinking and arguing at their mobile home on Blue Springs Road. Authorities said that, when the woman tried to leave with her granddaughter, Studivant followed them outside with a shotgun.
According to authorities, Studivant said he meant to hit the grandmother, who was in the driver's seat, but instead hit the child in the passenger seat of the car.
Authorities said shotgun pellets hit the girl in the chest and face.
Family members say Studivant had quit drinking, but something prompted him Monday to drink wine.
Sheriff's deputies said the girl is listed in stable condition at UNC Chapel Hill Medical Center.
Studivant has been charged with shooting into an occupied vehicle and assault with a deadly weapon. He was being held in the Hoke County Jail Monday night.
The arrest is the first in the new administration of Sheriff Hubert Peterkin.
Copyright 2024 by Capitol Broadcasting Company. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
