A Seven Lakes man, Christopher Loken, has been charged with involuntary manslaughter following the death of his wife in January.
Deputies with the Moore County Sheriff’s Office responded to the couple’s home in the 300 block of Longleaf Drive in the Seven Lakes West community on Jan. 3 after receiving a report of a shooting shortly before 1:45 p.m.
First responders attempted CPR on Rachel Loken, who had been shot in the chest, but she died at the scene.
A family member who created a GoFundMe page after the shooting wrote that Rachel Loken was a decorated soldier who served more than 15 years in the military. Christopher Loken had recently retired from military service and volunteered with the West End Fire Department.
Investigators said at the time that the shooting appeared to be accidental. Chief Deputy Andy Conway said in January that preliminary findings showed Rachel Loken was in another room when she was struck by a gunshot fired by her husband.
He said detectives would examine every detail to determine the circumstances surrounding her death.
On Nov. 18, the Moore County Sheriff’s Office reported in a press release that following a review of the case, “the Moore County grand jury returned a true bill of indictment for one count of involuntary manslaughter.”
Christopher Loken was taken into custody without incident and was committed to the Moore County Detention Center without bond. His first appearance in Moore County Superior Court is scheduled for December 8.
All defendants facing criminal charges are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.Â
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Photo via Moore County Detention Center.
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