Plymouth teen shot by his father asked neighbor for cellphone because ‘I want to tell my mother I love her,’ neighbor says

By Brian R. Ballou and John R. Ellement, Globe Staff

PLYMOUTH – With blood oozing out of a bullet wound in his torso, the 15-year-old boy lying on the front lawn of a neighbor’s house asked two questions:

Am I going to die?

Can I call my mother and tell her I love her?

“It was sad,’’ Mark Miller, the neighbor, said today.

Miller was one of several neighbors who rushed to the aid of the teen whom Plymouth police allege was shot by his father, Richard J. Panepinto, Tuesday around 5:30 p.m. The elder Panepinto then used the same firearm to shoot himself in the stomach, police said.

The teen, who was identified by neighbors as Sean Panepinto, is listed in critical condition today at an unidentified Boston hospital but is expected to survive the attack.

The elder Panepinto is also listed in critical condition at an undisclosed Boston hospital, but is under police guard because he faces numerous charges, including armed assault with intent to murder and unlawful possession of a firearm, Plymouth police said.

Authorities did not disclose a motive for the nearly fatal act of domestic violence.

Court records show that the 53-year-old Panepinto was charged in 2007 with attacking his wife, Janet, who invoked her right not to be forced to testify against her husband in a criminal case.

“I am in no way afraid of my husband and he has never harmed me before,’’ Janet Penepinto wrote in a letter sent to the authorities handling her husband’s case in Plymouth District Court. “We have a 10 year old son that we both love very much and he needs to spend time (with) both of his parents….Please give us a chance to put our family back together.’’

In the 2007 case, Richard Panapinto was charged with one count of assault to murder and two counts of assault and battery with a deadly weapon which involved using two aluminum bats to beat his wife. Court records show the case was continued without a finding and he was put on probation for three years.

The 2007 incident took place at the family home on Jamie’s Path, the same place where 53-year-old Richard Panepinto allegedly shot his son with an illegal firearm. After being wounded, the teenager ran from his home and then staggered for a short distance before collapsing on Miller’s lawn.

Miller said today he was in his kitchen when he heard gunshouts, dialed 911 and then ran outside his home. With his eight-year-old daughter screaming in terror, Miller saw the bleeding teen, who was already being helped by other neighbors.

He said, ‘Am I going to die?’ ” Miller recalled. “I said, ‘Sean you are not going to die. Everything is going to be OK.’ ”Miller continued: “He said, ‘Can I call my mother? I want to tell her that I love her.’ ”

Miller said another neighbor grabbed their cellphone, handed it off to the wounded teen. The boy, whom Miller described as a “nice kid,” spoke with his mother using that cellphone before first responders rushed him to a hospital, Miller said.

Residents said the small cul-de-sac is a tight neighborhood where the Panepintos stood out because they kept to themselves, and literally used to have the blinds drawn down over all the windows. Janet Panepinto, they said, seemed almost a recluse so infrequent was her contact with neighbors.

Neighbors said Richard Panepinto seemed to be a troubled man who made irregular appearances at the house in recent weeks.

Despite their reservations about his parents, neighbors said the teen was outgoing and would politely greet neighbors when their paths crossed.

Because of his medical status, the elder Panepinto is not expected to be arraigned today, officials said.