9-year old Washington boy shot by 10-year old target-shooting brother

A 9-year old boy and his 10-year old brother were target-shooting, unsupervised, outside Raymond, Washington, when the 10-year old shot his younger brother in the chest.


From an article:

A 9-year-old boy was shot in the chest outside the town of Raymond on Friday, allegedly by his brother.  

According to the Pacific County Sheriff's Office, his 10-year-old brother was doing target practice in the area of 357 Mill Creek Road in an unincorporated part of the county. 

The 9-year-old victim was standing 3-4 feet away from the target when he was shot. 

The victim was transported by helicopter to Harborview Medical Center in critical condition, with possibly paralyzing injuries. 

It is not known what type of gun was used. 

Child protective services and the prosecuting attorney have been notified because nobody was watching the boys when they were doing target practice, the Sheriff's Office said. 

Unrelated to the incident, the victim's father was scheduled to be sentenced Friday for drug-related crimes.

Given the father's crimes, is it surprising that the boys were able to get hold of a loaded gun and ammo?


According to another article:

The 9-year-old is being flown by helicopter to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle. [Sheriff] Johnson said the boy was in critical condition and paralyzed from the waist down.

Every gun in the hands of a child must first pass through the hands of an adult.

UPDATE (6/17/12):  The 9-year old had been on a rope swing.  From a related article:

The older boy, who is 10, was outside and practicing target shooting with a .22 rifle in an unincorporated-area near Raymond when his younger brother asked their stepfather if he could go outside as well, said Pacific County Sheriff Scott Johnson.

The boy received permission, Johnson said, and headed towards a rope swing that was about three to four feet away from the older boy’s target.

The 9-year-old had his hand on the rope when he was shot in the chest, according to Johnson.

He was taken to a local hospital and then airlifted to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle where he has undergone three surgeries so far, Johnson said.

Johnson said that the 10-year-old will not be facing criminal charges, but Child Protective Services and the county’s prosecuting attorney has been notified because no adults were supervising the target practice.

This is the fifth accidental shooting of a child in Washington since February.

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