BRADENTON, Fla. — Manatee County deputies arrested a 15-year-old boy they say accidentally shot his friend in the head while playing with a handgun.
It happened just before 4 p.m. Tuesday on 14th Street East near 9th Avenue in the Sylvan Oaks area of Bradenton.
Deputies say they were initially told by a witness that a 16-year-old boy accidentally shot himself in the head while holding a gun.
He was transported to Blake Hospital where he remains in critical condition.
Further investigation revealed that the teen's 15-year-old friend was playing with the gun when it accidentally went off and shot him, according to the sheriff's office.
The 15-year-old was arrested and charged with attempted manslaughter. He was booked into the Manatee Regional Juvenile Detention Center.