The Fresno County Sheriff’s Department says a 10-year old boy died Friday evening after being accidentally shot in the chest by a pellet gun.
Investigators say the boy’s friend pointed the gun at him thinking it was unloaded and then it went off.
It happened outside a home in the Burrough Valley area, near Tollhouse.
A helicopter was called in to quickly airlift the child out to Community Regional Medical Center, but his injury from this pellet gun proved to be too severe and he later died.
Law enforcement says no matter if it's a pellet gun or a gun that fires bullets, everyone should follow the same set of rules.
"You can't point it at something you're not willing to potentially injure. Your finger needs to be off the trigger until you're ready to actually shoot the gun, so it's the same safety measures. A pellet gun can be every bit as dangerous as a regular firearm," said Lt. John Reynolds of the Fresno Co. Sheriff's Dept.
The child who accidentally fired the weapon is not facing any criminal charges.
