Investigation Continues into Teen Killed by Neighbor; Sheriff to Speak

More details are coming Tuesday afternoon in the death of Caleb Gordley, a 16-year-old Sterling teen who was shot when he was apparently mistaken for an intruder in a neighbor's home.

Loudoun County Sheriff Mike Chapman was scheduled to speak at 3:45 p.m. at the department's Eastern Loudoun Station in Sterling.

Friends of Gordley say they dropped the teen off on his block after a night of drinking and he mistakenly entered the wrong home, according to news reports. According to the LCSO report, the teen appears to have entered the home through a rear window that was found open after the incident. 

The Washington Post reported Tuesday the neighbor heard Gordley enter the home and thought he was an intruder.

He grabbed his gun and encountered the teen in the hallway, the Post reports. He told the teen to leave, fired a warning shot, and when the teen didn't move, the neighbor fired.

The boy's father said the houses had identical layouts and that his son likely mistook the neighbor's house for his own.

The homeowner contacted the law enforcement to report he had shot an intruder.

Gordley was a three-sport athlete at Park View High School.

Patch will update this story as more information becomes available.

See also:

LCSO IDs Student Shot in Sterling Neighbor's Home