CLEARFIELD — A 16-year-old boy who police say accidentally shot his younger sister reportedly obtained his gun by stealing it from a vehicle a year ago.
On Thursday, the teen was "playing" with a fully loaded .22-caliber revolver inside his home, 221 N. 360 West, when it accidentally went off, striking his 12-year-old sister in the back of her shoulder, said Clearfield Assistant Police Chief Mike Stenquist. The bullet exited through her arm.
She was conscious and communicating with paramedics before she was flown by medical helicopter to Primary Children's Medical Center. The girl was reported to be in stable condition Friday, he said.
The brother told investigators he took the gun during a car burglary in Clinton about a year ago. Though Stenquist said detectives believe the teen's story about stealing it from a vehicle, as of Friday they had not been able to corroborate all of his story or verify where the gun came from.
Investigators were also looking Friday at whether the boy could be linked to any other unsolved car burglaries. Whether the teen's parents knew the teen had the gun was also being investigated Friday, Stenquist said.
Police were expected to present the case to the Davis County Attorney's Office to consider criminal charges, he said.
Investigators had not yet released the names of either the brother or sister.
— Pat Reavy