Teen charged after shooting brother; mistook him for deer

Posted at 4:21 PM, December 16, 2021 and last updated 2:20 PM, July 24, 2023

SOLON TOWNSHIP, Mich. (AP) — A teenager who told investigators that he mistook his brother for a deer when he shot him has been charged with a gun crime, authorities in western Michigan said Thursday.

The 17-year-old faces a charge of careless discharge of a firearm causing injury, the Kent County sheriff’s office said. The case will be handled in juvenile court.

A 12-year-old boy was shot Monday in Solon Township, north of Grand Rapids, when he went out to summon his older brother for dinner, the sheriff’s office said.

The teen thought he was shooting at a deer, deputies said.

The younger boy was in stable condition at a hospital.