Rowan County Mother Charged After Child Accidentally Shoots Himself

SALISBURY, N.C. — On March 4, 2025, Rowan County deputies responded after a four-year-old child was taken to Atrium Health Cabarrus with a gunshot wound to the hand. Initial reports described the injury as a laceration from a gun slide, but further investigation confirmed it was from an accidental discharge.

Deputies determined the child found an unsecured firearm in the home and accidentally fired it, injuring his hand. The child’s mother, 23-year-old Sara Elise Rennie, was the only adult present at the time.

Rennie was charged with felony child neglect and failure to store a firearm to protect minors. She was booked into the Rowan County Jail under a $30,000 secured bond.

The child’s injuries were non-life-threatening, and they were transferred to Levine Children’s Hospital for further care. Rowan County DSS has also opened an investigation.