PINE TOWNSHIP, Pa. — Authorities have launched a homicide investigation after identifying 17-year-old Carter J. Conklin as the victim of a fatal shooting in Columbia County.
According to Pennsylvania State Police, Conklin’s body was found early Thursday inside a home on Pine Township’s Engle Road. Emergency responders arrived shortly before 7:30 a.m. following reports of an unresponsive male.
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The Columbia County Coroner’s Office later determined Conklin died from a single gunshot wound to the head. A forensic autopsy performed Friday confirmed that the teen’s death was intentional.
Conklin, a student at Millville Area School District, was remembered by school officials as a kind and promising young person whose loss has devastated classmates and staff. Counselors have been made available to help students cope with the tragedy.
Detectives have not disclosed any information about potential suspects or what may have led to the shooting. Investigators continue to collect evidence, speak with witnesses, and reconstruct the timeline of events.
The case is being jointly handled by state police and the county coroner’s office. Officials are encouraging anyone with tips to come forward as they work to find answers for Conklin’s family and the tight-knit Pine Township community still reeling from his death.