Boy Playing Outside in Oceanside Shot by Man Cleaning His Rifle

OCEANSIDE, CA – An 11-year-old boy playing on his skateboard in Oceanside was shot in the hand by a man who was cleaning his rifle, police said Sunday.

Officers responded to the 400 block of Vandegrift Boulevard shortly before 8 p.m. Saturday, where they found the boy in the pool area with a non-life threatening injury, Oceanside Police Lt. Daniel Sullivan said.

The boy was taken by Air-Ambulance to Rady Children's Hospital in Kearny Mesa.

The victim told officers he was skateboarding near the pool area with two friends and felt the injury to his hand after hearing a loud single pop, Sullivan said.

Officers searched the area, located the crime scene and several witnesses and found the gunman inside his apartment. The suspect eventually told officers he was unloading his .223 caliber rifle and accidentally fired a bullet through the exterior wall of his apartment, Sullivan said.

Officers found a bullet hole in the exterior of the building in the same area as where the children were playing. The shooting suspect was detained and transported to the Oceanside Police Department for further investigation, Sullivan said.

The boy had stable life signs and was expected to recover from the gunshot wound.

– By City New Service / Image via Shutterstock