Man breaks into sleepover and shoots dead girl, dad
A gunman who broke into a US house during a sleepover shot dead a teenage girl and her friend’s father before turning the gun on himself.
John Bocek, 23, forced his way into 16-year-old Kathleen Chaplin’s grandparents’ North Carolina home after he had been accused of assaulting the girl and stealing her phone, reports WBTV.
Bocek fatally shot her father, 51-year-old Matthew Chaplin, and her 15-year-old friend, Jenna Hewitt, who was staying as a guest on Sunday.
Police sources said Kathleen Chaplin and her sister Zoe Chaplin, 20, were hiding in a closet when Bocek started his shooting spree.
John Bocek, left, shot dead Matthew Chaplin, while his daughters Kathleen, front left, and Zoe survived the attack. Supplied/Facebook
The uninjured Kathleen Chaplin ran to a neighbour’s home to call police.
When officers arrived, they found the two dead victims and Bocek, who was barely alive after an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound.
He died after being taken to hospital.
North Carolina police said Bocek was wanted by authorities for incidents involving robbery and assault with a deadly weapon at the time of the killings.
In 2017, he was charged with assault on a female, cyber-stalking, threatening calls and breaking and entering.
Police say Kathleen Chaplin and Bocek apparently met online through social media.
“With somebody who does something like this there is no telling what was in this man’s mind,” said Charlotte Mecklenburg Police Department spokesman Cam Selvey.
“All too often what we are seeing are people trying to rely on firearms to handle their problems,” he added.
Zoe Chaplin said she has taken part in gun control marches since the Parkland high school shooting in Florida last year.
She said family members are incensed Bocek had a history of assaulting women and that he had a gun.
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