Boys playing with gun before 12-year-old boy shot in the chest, Tolleson police say
PHOENIX (3TV/CBS 5) - Police say two boys were playing with a handgun when one of them was shot and they lied about it in Tolleson on Sunday evening. It happened near 93rd Avenue and McKinley Street, which is north of Van Buren Street. Police said a 12-year-old was hanging out with his 14-year-old friend and fooling around with the gun. That’s when the gun went off and the 12-year-old was hit in the chest.
When police arrived, the boy was found in the street, talking and alert. Both boys said the victim was shot during a drive-by shooting. The boy was taken to the hospital in critical condition but his status was upgraded to stable condition just before 9 p.m. Officers went to the house where one of the boys lives and found out the truth. Police said the pair made up the story about the drive-by shooting so they wouldn’t get into trouble. The gun was found at the home.
Police are now looking into how the boys got the gun and who owned it. It’s unclear how the gun went off. An investigation is underway.
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