LIBERTY COUNTY, Texas – An 8-year-old boy was fatally wounded Saturday night while he and other members of his family were shooting at tin cans, deputies said.
According to the Liberty County Sheriff’s Office, the shooting occurred at the family's home on County Road 3560 near the Plum Grove area.
Investigators said the father told them they were taking turns with a very old .22-caliber semi-automatic rifle with no trigger guard to shoot at tin cans near a wood pile.
Investigators said at some point the father turned his back and heard a gunshot, when he turned back around he realized his son, 8-year-old Abel Rincon, was shot in the chest.
The father put his son in his truck and rushed him to the hospital. He encountered a deputy along the way. Investigators said the deputy called for an ambulance and medevac flight, then started CPR on the boy.
The child was flown to Memorial Herman hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
The Sheriff's Office said it is in the early stages of the investigation. The details of who was involved and how the shooting happened are not known.
At this time, no charges have been filed and an autopsy has been ordered.
