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Police: Boy, 10, Recovering After Being Accidentally Shot By His Brother

CHERRY HILL TOWNSHIP (KDKA) -- A 10-year-old boy from Indiana County is recovering after police say he was accidentally shot by his teenage brother.

State Police say the shooting happened Sunday at a home on Airport Road in Cherry Hill Township.

According to police, the 15-year-old boy had been target practicing and thought the .22-caliber pistol was unloaded when it still had one round in the chamber.

Police say the teen was playing with the hammer and the trigger in the living room when the pistol discharged, hitting his 10-year-old brother behind his ear.

Indiana County District Attorney Patrick Dougherty tells KDKA it is an "unfortunate case," and it would be premature to say whether any charges could be filed against the teenager or the parents.

"At this time, we are exploring all of our options. We aren't going to exclude anybody or include anybody at this time. But once we know, and once we have the full display of the facts, we will deal with it accordingly," said Dougherty.

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Police said the child was in stable condition after the shooting and transported to Children's Hospital as a precaution.

"It does appear to be an accidental shooting," said Dougherty. "It's my understanding the mother was home. The father was at work. The mother was outside when the incident happened."

No word on when state police will wrap up their investigation, but when they do they will meet with Dougherty who will review their findings and make a final determination.

"It's my understanding the child is doing okay and these are not life-threatening injuries at this point," said Dougherty.

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