Hunter Lee Hatch, a White/Caucasian male, age 3, died on May 7, 2025, in Mebane, North Carolina, after an accidental gunshot wound inside a vehicle parked near the Walker Athletic Complex where a T-ball game was underway. Officers were dispatched just before 8 p.m. to the area of West Lee Street and South First Street on reports of shots fired; a firearm was recovered, and initial findings indicated it discharged unintentionally.
The child was rushed for treatment but was pronounced dead that evening. His identity and age were later confirmed in public obituaries, which also placed him in Mebane and recorded his date of death as May 7, 2025.
In the weeks that followed, Mebane police charged the child’s parents, Michael Ray Hatch and Kaitlyn Elizabeth Hatch, with one misdemeanor count each of failing to store a firearm to protect minors, noting the incident occurred while the family was at the ballfields. Court records and local reporting show both parents were served with criminal summonses on May 27, 2025, and later pleaded guilty during their first court appearance on July 3, receiving a prayer for judgment continued and court costs. No other suspects were named, and authorities described the shooting as accidental. Memorial posts and community tributes corroborated the child’s identity and the circumstances of the loss.
