Rating:

0.0 (0 votes)

BILLINGS - A 5-year-old boy is in stable condition after a shooting at the High Sierra Dog Park. Sergeant Matt Brewer says the investigation is ongoing to determine if it is accidental.

Authorities were called to the scene just after 6:15 Thursday night.

Police are now investigating, and believe the shooting may have happened as the boy and a companion were target shooting.Sergeant Brewer says the suspect is an 8-year-old boy. Police initially were told the suspect was 6-years-old.

Brewer says the 5-year-old boy suffered life-threatening injuries to the lower part of his body. And while he is in stable condition, Brewer cautions that could change because of the boy's size.

"It appears that he had received his injury and laid there for an unknown amount of time, probably at least 15, 20 minutes," Brewer said. "And being a low caliber rifle, they don't make a lot of noise. So no one heard any of the gunshots."

Don Crawford was walking his dog, and came across a girl, who found the boy.

"She was leaning over a little boy," Crawford said. "Drove up and immediately called 911 when I saw blood. The little girl was crying, and called 911 and just jumped the fence and helped the youngster out as much as I could."

Police had earlier recovered the rifle, ammunition and the victim's bike.