TOMS RIVER, N.J., April 9 (UPI) — A 6-year-old New Jersey boy has been hospitalized after police said he was shot by a 4-year-old neighbor.
The mother of the younger boy called police after the shooting in the side yard of her Toms River home, The (Newark) Star-Ledger reported Tuesday.
The 4-year-old took the rifle from inside the house and fired one shot in the yard about 7 p.m., Police Chief Michael Mastronardy said.
Authorities are investigating whether the gun accidentally discharged or if the child pulled the trigger, the chief said.
Parents of the younger boy were home at the time, Mastronardy said, but the chief did not identify either of the children or the neighborhood where the shooting occurred.
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