GREAT FALLS — A 6-year-old child was shot on Sunday in Cascade County.
Cascade County Sheriff Jesse Slaughter said in a news release that at about 2:50 p.m., deputies were dispatched to a residence on Hevron Road north of Great Falls in response to the incident. While they were heading there, deputies met up with the child's mother at the intersection of Wilson Road and Bootlegger. She was taking the child to the hospital in her vehicle. The child was then taken to the hospital in a Mercy Flight helicopter due to injuries to his arm and rib cage area.
Detectives responded to the scene to investigate the shooting and interviewed the parents and their children, the 6-year-old victim and his 11-year-old brother.
According to Slaughter, the child's 11-year-old brother was loading a bolt action .22-caliber long rifle to sight it in. The 11-year-old retrieved the rifle from the residence and took it outside to the garage.
While in the garage, the 11-year-old tripped and pulled the trigger of the rifle. The bullet struck his younger brother, who was seated on a wood pallet in the middle of the garage. A family friend placed a tourniquet on the 6-year-old child.
The subsequent investigation found that the bullet had ricocheted off the floor before striking the 6-year-old boy. Based on the scene and the investigation, detectives determined it was likely a negligent shooting.
There was no information released on the current condition of the child.
The investigation continues.
