PORT ORCHARD, Wash. — Authorities say a 9-year-old boy who brought a gun to a Washington state elementary school that went off and critically wounded a young classmate apparently got the weapon from his mother's house.
In charging documents, police and prosecutors say the firearm was a .45-caliber handgun. Authorities believe the third-grader came into possession of the weapon during a visitation with his mother over the weekend.
The boy was taken into juvenile custody Wednesday after the shooting for investigation of unlawful possession of a gun, bringing a dangerous weapon to school and third-degree assault charges. The 8-year-old girl who was struck by the bullet remains in critical condition at a Seattle hospital.
Dr. Eileen Bulger said at a news conference Thursday that Amina Kocer-Bowman will likely be at the hospital for several weeks and face further surgeries. The girl is sedated and on a ventilator at Harborview Medical Center but has woken up and interacted with her parents.
Authorities have said they believe the shooting was accidental.
