2 Teens Accidentally Shot by Friend

A 16-year-old juvenile male is facing felony charges after a gun he was holding allegedly went off and struck two people, according to a release from the Aurora Police Department.

A single bullet injured a 17-year-old male’s hand and an 18-year-old male’s leg at 11:42 p.m. July 15 on the 500 block of Howard Street on the city’s west side.

The victims were treated at Presence Mercy Center Hospital for non-life threatening injuries.

According to the release, the victims gave differing accounts of what happened before giving officers the identity and location of the offender.

Officers responded to the juvenile offender’s house and made contact with him and his guardian. The juvenile was taken into custody and interviewed by APD investigators.

The 16-year-old juvenile was charged with three felony charges: one count of possession of a firearm w/o a FOID card, one count of reckless discharge of a firearm and one count of aggravated unlawful use of a weapon while under the age of 21.

The offender was transported to the Kane County Youth Home. The incident does not appear to have been an intentional act. At this time it is unknown where the gun came from or where it is now. Neither the victims nor the offender could explain where the gun went after it was discharged, thus it was never recovered.