A 16-year-old boy playing with a handgun accidentally shot his 14-year-old friend, prompting an investigation in Mid-City over the weekend.
The shooting was reported at about 10:40 p.m. Sunday at a home near Venice Boulevard and Vineyard Avenue, according to the Los Angeles Police Department.
There, the teenagers and two other friends were spending time together at the victim’s home when the elder teen began playing with the handgun. Police said the victim advised his friend to refrain from doing that since people can get injured that way. “Almost immediately,” according to police, the gun discharged and the 14-year-old boy was shot in the side and into his back.
The victim was shot just once and the teen who inadvertently fired the gun ran from the scene. He lives in the area and police said officers will try to contact him and his parents at their home.
Police did not detail the severity of the victim’s injury, but said he and the two witnesses are cooperating in the investigation.
LAPD said that although the case is believed to be an unintentional discharge, a criminal investigation is still underway since at least one person was shot.
