A Mount Airy teen remained hospitalized Wednesday in Winston-Salem from a gunshot wound to the face suffered in an incident that authorities might not have complete answers on until later this week.

The name of the victim, who allegedly was shot by her brother — possibly accidentally — has not been released by the Mount Airy Police Department. But sources connected to her family identified the girl as Alissa Foster, a student at the city’s middle school believed to be 12- or 13-years-old.

She received a single gunshot wound to the face in an incident at a home at 147 W. Church St., which a large contingent of paramedics and city police responded to about 4:15 p.m. Tuesday. The girl was in critical condition at last report, with sources indicating that she was on a ventilator at Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center after undergoing at least one operation.

Despite a lengthy inquiry by city police, who are being assisted by the State Bureau of Investigation, no charges had been filed in the case as of late Wednesday afternoon. Detective Sgt. Paul Barker, who is heading the investigation for the police department, said then that a ruling regarding possible charges will come “probably within the next couple of days.”

The Surry County District Attorney’s Office is working closely with investigators concerning their findings from the incident.

“A person of interest has been questioned by investigating officers,” according to Barker. Hours of interviews were conducted Tuesday night and officers continued to work the case Wednesday, Barker said.

The detective would not say whether authorities are strictly trying to determine if the shooting was malicious or accidental. “That is still under investigation,” Barker said in declining to specify exact scenarios being focused on by law enforcement personnel.

An area television station was reporting Wednesday that a male in his late teens, who was upset, had appeared at one of a cluster of homes in the neighborhood and said he had just shot his sister in the head. The teen told the neighbor that he wasn’t aware that a shell was in the gun that was fired.

The neighbor called 911, resulting in a swarm of emergency personnel to the scene. Another account provided by a neighbor indicated that a young male, who appeared to have blood on him, was spotted running out of the house at 147 W. Church St. after the shooting and yelling loudly.

Minutes after officers arrived — before the area had been sealed off by police — an individual fitting the description of the brother was seen sitting in the rear passenger compartment of a police car, without a shirt.

Barker would not confirm Wednesday that the girl’s brother was the person of interest in the case. “All I can say at this point was that it was a family member,” the investigator said.

He also would not confirm a report that the male taken into custody and the victim were the only two persons in the residence at the time of the shooting.

When also asked about the type of weapon involved and the possibility that it contained birdshot, the detective said he could not comment on those elements as well.

Mount Airy school officials said Wednesday they were unable to discuss the matter, including any preparations for providing counseling to the shooting victim’s classmates, citing the ongoing investigation.

Contact Tom Joyce at tjoyce@mtairynews.com or at 719-1924.