By Jessie Burchette
jburchette@salisburypost.com
Police say a Salisbury teen may have fatally shot his brother while mimicking actions on a video game Wednesday.
Police say 19-year-old Bobby Jonathan Chambers took a semi-automatic Ruger pistol, put it to his brother’s head and pulled the trigger, killing 20-year-old Elbert Leon “Trey” Chambers III.
Deputy Police Chief Steve Whitley said the brothers and others were at the Chambers home at 1028 W. Horah St., hanging out and playing video games.
Witnesses told police the younger Chambers picked up the pistol and checked the clip to make sure it was unloaded before placing the gun near his brother’s head and pulling the trigger.
Whitley said he was unaware a bullet was in the chamber.
Police are awaiting preliminary autopsy results that could verify how close the gun was to the victim when it was fired.
Bobby Chambers is in the Rowan County Detention Center, charged with involuntary manslaughter.
Whitley said additional charges may be filed, including possible federal charges on a gun violation.
Chief Deputy Rory Collins said Bobby Chambers had been served notice that he is on the Project Safe watchlist, which means he was subject to being watched and subject to federal prosecution for crimes involving narcotics and guns.
Under federal prosecution, anyone convicted serves the actual sentence, day for day, with no early release.
“People do not want to be on the Safe list,” Whitley said.
Both of the Chambers brothers were on the police list of known gang members.
During a search of the house, police seized several handguns and narcotics.
Whitley said neither of the Chambers brothers were of legal age to possess a handgun. And both were convicted felons.
Both have been arrested and convicted on various felonies.
“The entire family is well known to us,” Whitley said, also referring to the boy’s father, Elbert Leon Chambers Jr., known as “June.” He lives in Winston-Salem.